(Surah 33...

(Surah 33, verse 59) (Jilbab = A robe bigger than veil and shorter than shawl, which covers woman's head and breast.) Basing on these and other Qur'anic verses and authentic traditions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), the Muslim jurisprudents, without any sectarian difference, have decreed that: (a) Muslim women should keep their whole body covered when going out of house. Only face (but not head or hair) and hands up to wrist may remain open.

(b) There are special and stricter rules of dress for prayer and hajj. (c) The dress should not be tight to show the contour of body, nor flimsy to defeat the purpose of dress. (d) Women should not wear a dress generally used by men, nor men the dress of women. Your Excellency! The Ministry of Education in our country has selected a uniform for girls of primary schools, which is a copy of the western dress. We wonder why such a decision was taken.

Blouse and skirt are not African, nor are they Christian or Islamic, Why that style of dress is so sacrosanct as it can't be changed? It would have been more in keeping with our national aspirations to prescribe long frocks and bui-bui instead, as it is a dress millions of African women wear. Is it not high time that we rid ourselves of the attitude that all that comes from the West is good for us, while our own values are "barbaric."?

In view of the above facts, we humbly request Your Excellency to direct the Ministry of Education to prescribe such a uniform for school girls as covers their heads and whole body, leaving open their faces and hands. It may be simplified to consist of: scarf, frock, trousers and socks. We believe that it will be a more dignified uniform, and will even allow the girls to participate in athletics and sports freely without fear of any embarrassing exposure. Your Excellency!

If for any reason it is difficult to introduce such a uniform for all girls, then the Muslim girls should be allowed throughout the country to wear such uniform without any let or hindrance, as it is a law of their religion and not just a tribal or cultural tradition. Before going to the other subjects, we would like to bring to Your Excellency's kind notice that Muslim girls in U.K.

and France have gained the right to wear hi jab in schools although it took court actions (and in case of France, intervention by the European Human Rights Commission) to achieve that right.