Da’awah
The women affairs management committee of Nasrul-Lahi-L-Fatih Society, NASFAT in collaboration with the children affairs committee and youth wing marked this year’s World Hijab Day with the NASFAT children on Sunday, February 11, 2024 at the HQ Asalatu venue, Alausa, Ikeja.
The World Hijab Day is always marked on February 1 of every year, in recognition of millions of Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab and live a life of modesty.
World Hijab Day was founded by a social activist, Nazma Khan, a Bangladeshi American, in 2013 to celebrate women who choose to wear Hijab and counter hijabophobia through raised awareness and improved education about the traditional Muslim head covering.
This year’s theme is; “Veiled in Strength”. NASFAT in addition to the Thursday commemoration of the day with other notable Islamic organisations and human rights groups like Al-Muminaat, Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative, FOMWAN, MSSN, MPAC, etc. This was extended to the children of NASFAT as they are expected to gather at the Sunday Asalatu.
The world hijab day is simultaneously marked today at all NASFAT Zones, Branches, Groups and outreaches in and outside Nigeria.
The NASFAT president, Alhaji AbdulRauf Ayodeji AbdulWahid in his speech, advised the children to be agents of positive change in the society and be good role models worthy of emulation to others. And they shouldn’t feel inferior about adorning their hijab as it bestows upon them natural protection from the Creator.
He further spoke on the relationship between the HELD and LEAD policy of the society. “The acronym LEAD which means Leadership, Empowerment, Agents of Change and Dawah (Dawah 2.02) is the continuity and upgrade of his predecessor’s initiative HELD, Health, Education, Livelihood and Dawah.”
According to the National Women Affairs Secretary, Alhaja Ganiyat Omowunmi Babalola, “it’s important such gathering as this is held at all times, so as to keep the children empowered from childhood on the essence of adorning the hijab, as it’s an injunction from Allah SWT. Catching them young”.
In her own words, the National Children Affairs Secretary, NCAS, Alhaja Muslimot Leshi, urged parents to encourage and continue to support their children who are still struggling to adapt to the usage of the veil and those who are already wearing the hijab. “May Allah SWT make it easy and convenient for everyone of us.”
The immediate past National Empowerment Secretary, Alhaja Fauziyah Adegeye however reminded the children and guests at the event that, hijab is not just about covering one’s head or bosom, it goes beyond that, it also means to be upright in all dealings with one another, including maintaining good moral virtues.
Among other activities lined up for the event was the question and answer session which gave the children the opportunity to pour out their minds and interact elaborately and quiz competition where some of the children both male and female participated and went home with gifts such as hijabs and faze caps.
The celebration is aimed at sensitising the public on the right to use the hijab and seek an end to discrimination against the use of Hijab in private and public institutions.
Some of the children expressed their gratitude for the kind gesture of benefiting from the free hijab distributed at the event.