Barring Firdaus Amasa From Call To Bar And Eccentric Attitude
The Oasis Reporters
December 22, 2017
Firdaus Amasa (left) willingly signed up for the same rules and broke them at the Call to Bar.
Both of them remain lovely Nigerian ladies and devout Muslims from good homes.
As part of the officials that screened aspirants to the Bar, I also participated in the entry screening for the four batches that were called on those two days and witnessed the whole drama. The confrontational attitude of Firdaus Amasa who was not ready to submit her personal sentiments to the rules of this profession was something else.
We have what we call “regulation dress code for ladies” in the legal profession. The attire is clearly spelt out in our code of conduct book. Hijab is obviously not part of it and you must deal with that obvious fact. All our laws should not be bent for every wave of religious doctrines or practices,otherwise we won’t have a functional and fair law.
My religion makes us believe that black represents evil.
Should I now wear white suit to law school or for my call to bar because of my religion?
There were over a thousand Muslim ladies we screened for the two days I was on duty.
Why should her case be different? We asked her to step aside and remove her hijab.
Imaging about 5 law school lecturers from Abuja campus begging a mere aspirant to the bar to do the right thing and she bluntly refused.
It was such an unpardonable display of crude rudeness to constituted authorities.
Denying her access to the call hall did not in any way violate her right to freedom of worship under Sections 38 or 39 of the 1999 CFRN, as we all know that none of the rights enshrined in Chapter 4 of the 1999 CFRN is absolute. The denial was fair, proper and lawful.
Note that some Christians prohibit the wearing of trousers by ladies, but they allow their ladies wear it during their national youth service (NYSC).
Will one now say they are not serious with their religion ?
We should all jointly condemn this misbehavior of the lady in question and put an end to emotional sentiments
Recall president Buhari’s daughter’s call to bar last year. She wasn’t putting on her hijab, but she wears it to other places she goes to. I have met her twice at Coscharis’ Office in Abuja and on both occasions she wore her hijab, but never wore it during her stay in law school or on her call day.
Let Firdaus Amasa go to court if she feels she is above the law or that she holds her version and interpretation of her brand of extremism superior to our secular laws .
This country is not an Islamic state and will never be. If she is not ready to submit to the rules of the profession, she should as well go and study Islamic studies and make her PHD in it.
I hope nobody will raise an eye brow if a catholic Rev. Father insists that he should be called to bar wearing his cassock and rosary, going by this precedence if allowed to pass.
Here’s hoping that the supporters of Ms Amasa will be comfortable to attend a call to bar ceremony in the nearest future only to see a man wearing a red skirt decorated with cowries because that is what the gods have asked him to wears.
Do you know how many christians whose faith does not support the wearing of trousers but are compelled to do so during the compulsory service?
During the Nigerian Defense Academy (NDA) passing out parade, women (including muslim female soilders) cut their hair to the skin. No strand of hair is allowed on your hair let alone hijab.
How many persons have challenged that?
The dress code for lawyers in Nigeria predates Nigeria. If you bend a little, you will have to continue to bend to allow other religions and faith at the end of the day the beauty of the profession will be lost. Law is not for all. If you are too religious for law, try other professions. Law is not religious fanaticism.
And we should also note that no attire covers one’s body better than that of a Catholic Reverend Sister , who takes her religion very seriously, to the point of electing never to get married throughout her lifetime, yet all of them appear in the prescribed regulation dress code for ladies during their call to bar.
Reverend Fathers alike.
The Lady could still have covered her body totally in her regulation dress without humiliating her entire family and kindred by bringing them to Abuja only to disgrace them by her unreasoned religious bigotry.
Law with it’s tradition is older than Christianity and Islam and should for no reason whatsoever be made a slave to any of the two.
Let’s keep this debate straight and fair in order not to sacrifice the nobility of this profession on the alter of religious sentiments .
We should resist any unholy temptation to rewrite our laws just because of the attitude of one person who has refused to be purged of personal sentiments throughout her 6 years of education.
Just like the popular case of Kayode Bello in the Law School, this very case will soon be swept be gone like the wind.
Just like Kayode had enjoyed his unprofitable publicity and now languishes in lonely regrets, this very demonstration of foolery by the lady will still face same fate. In two months time all the dust will settle and the lady will be left to suffer the consequences of her stupidity in solitude, while all her chanters will proceed with their normal daily activities.
In conclusion, if the lady should be donated the so much alarmed sympathy with her act condoned, the following should also be considered in other to balance the equation:
Muslim lawyers should be allowed to wear hijabs.
Deeper life members shouldn’t be made to wear NYSC trousers.
Lords Chosen lawyers can wear their bullet proof vests to call to bar auditorium.
Celestial lawyers should be allowed to wear their white garments.
Traditional Idol worshipers like witches or native doctors should be allowed to appear in their red wrappers, feathers of birds, chocks and beads/cowries to law school and call to bar auditorium.
