Faced with unprecedented criticisms, the Kano Sharia Police (Hizbah Board) has denied any plans to invite the recently crowned Miss Nigeria, Shatu Garko and her parents for questioning over herparticipating in the beauty contest.
Director General of the Hizbah Board, Dr. Aliyu Musa Kibiya, told journalists in Kano on Wednesday night that the Hizbah Board never at any time invited Shatu Garko or her parents for questioning.
But Dr Kibiya admitted that the Commander of the Shariah police, Haruna ibn Sinai, was the one that preached against the beauty contest, saying it is sinful.
“We never at any time issued any instruction inviting her or her parents for questioning. It was a deliberate fake news. Hizbah only preached against the immoral acts of nudity and revealing the forbidden parts of the body of a woman which is sinful” he stated.
In fact, the Commandant-General of the Hizbah board, Ibn Sina, had told the Abuja-based Daily Trust that participating in the beauty pageant is against the teachings of Islam and the northern culture.
Stating that her parents would soon be invited to speak on why they allowed Shatu to participate in the contest, Ibn Sina said:. “We investigated and confirmed that the girl called Shatu Garko is from Kano state and an indigene of Garko Local Government area of Kano state where Hisbah is also working at.
“Islamically, it is totally forbidden because it goes against the teachings and practices of Islam. Immorality is practiced and it (beauty pageant) encourages the female gender to be immoral. “The holy Qur’an said we should tell our families especially females to cover their bodies entirely because it’s the best thing for their spiritual, emotional and physical wellbeing.
“A female Muslim is not allowed to open any part of her body except her face and palms of her hands except for their husbands, children or siblings. It has come to our notice that our children are now coming out to contest for this immoral act which is not acceptable.”
It would be recalled that the Shatu Garko made history by becoming the first hijab wearing Miss Nigeria when she was crowned last week in Lagos.
Being the first ever female from Kano to partake in a beauty contest and the first to win, it became an issue especially in the northern part of the country. A lot of people condemned it as violating both the cultural and religious ethics of the people.
But reacting to the invitation of Shatu’s parents by the Hizbah Sharia Police for participation in the Miss Nigeria contest, the Contact and Mobilization Officer, Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), Zuwaira Umar, said the action is an infringement of her rights.
“She has the right constitutionally and Nigeria confers on every citizen the freedom of association and expression. There’s no law in Kano banning that and talking about immorality, what she did is no match to what some daughter’s of influential people in the state have done in terms of dressing.
“A daughter of highly influential person in Kano has dressed more terrible than Shatu Garko who was even decent compared to the people she went into the contest with. Secondly, she did not do it in Kano, she doesn’t even reside here. She did it outside Kano.”
She added that the criteria for selecting Miss Nigeria was not beauty alone but other aspects such as intellectualism, contribution to development, among others.
Shehu Sani, a former Senator, also commented on the issue, which is generating attention on Social Media.
In a tweet, he wrote, “Ms Shatu Garko contested Miss Nigeria pageant decently dressed. She has not cross the line of our cultural standards here in the North. There are the daughters of the rich and the powerful that have done that with impunity. I appeal to the Hisbah religious authorities to let her be.”
On her part, Aisha Yesufu, an activist, said, “So my daughter will participate in beauty pageant and Hisbah will invite me?! Kai! I laugh in unmade D! They will know that day that all of us have bed in psychiatric hospital! Nonsense and rubbish! Nobody has monopoly of violence and foolishness!”
Daily Trust columnist, Gimba Kakanda, also weighed in on the matter on Twitter, saying the invitation was unnecessary.
He wrote, “I just feel Hisbah enjoy having Muslims, especially northerners, subjected to ridicule. Inviting Shatu Garko’s parents is absolutely unnecessary, no matter their intention. There are critical issues affecting the Muslim society, and none is a teenager partaking in Miss Nigeria.”