Nigerian
Newspapers’
Framing of The
Kwara Hijab Crisis:
Implications for
National Peace
Onifade, Oluwafemi Sunday PhD
&
Tali, Selbol Patience
Introduction

Religion plays a fundamental role in
the affairs of mankind. It is a
potent force that could be used to
achieve stability and it is also
powerful in creating chaos
(Okebukola, 2012).

Nigeria has experienced numerous
religious crises and it is most times
between the adherents of the two
leading Abrahamic faiths;
Christianity and Islam.
Introduction

The coverage and framing of conflicts and crises
by some media organizations arguably aggravate
tension and violence.

While performing its agenda-setting and
correlation functions, the media could
consciously or unconsciously promote sectional
interests which could harm national peace and
progress [Entman, (1994); Nurmalange (2006);
and Asemah (2011)].

There seems to be some relationship existing
between escalating violence and the media role
of correlation of society (Nnanyelugo & Chinedu
2013).
Objectives of the Study

To explore the portrayal of the Kwara hijab
crisis by Daily Trust newspaper.

To examine the framing of the Kwara hijab
crisis by Guardian newspaper.

To evaluate the historical perspectives
promoted by the narratives of Daily Trust and
Guardian newspapers on the Kwara hijab
crisis.

To examine the legal perspectives projected
by Daily Trust and Guardian newspapers in
their narratives on the Kwara hijab crisis.
Methodology

The research followed the qualitative
paradigm.

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA).

Two entries were purposively selected from
Daily Trust and Guardian newspapers
respectively. While Daily Trust represented
Muslim interest in the study, Guardian
provided a Christian perspective to the Kwara
hijab crisis.
Daily Trust

How Hijab Controversy Threatens
Kwara’s Peace, Education System

An Avoidable Crisis In Kwara
Schools
Guardian

Ilorin and the crisis of identity

Hijab and status of missionary
schools
Discussion of Findings
The Portrayal of the Kwara
Hijab Crisis by Daily Trust
Newspaper

Daily Trust portrayed the Christian
missions who owned the schools as the
aggressors. The newspaper also
portrayed the schools as properties of
the Kwara State government because
the government “took over” the schools
in the 1970s. It also supports the use of
hijab by female students of the
Christian mission schools.
The Portrayal of the Kwara
Hijab Crisis by Daily Trust
Newspaper


The support for the position of Daily Trust
newspaper can be attributed to the fact that
the publisher is a Muslim northerner and most of
the reporters and members of the Editorial
Board are also Muslim northerners.
If the case had been the refusal of a Christian
female student to wear the hijab in an Islamic
mission grant-aided school, it is unlikely that
the newspaper would support the religious
freedom of the student against the school
authority. The newspaper would have sought to
preserve the Islamic heritage of the school.
Framing of the Kwara Hijab
Conflict by Guardian Newspaper

In the two entries selected from
Guardian newspaper, the authors faulted
the claims made by the government of
Kwara State and the Muslim stakeholders
in the state. Dare Babarinsa faulted the
Muslims of Ilorin for promoting their
Islamic identity over their Yoruba
identity. He opined that this crisis of
identity is one of the causes of religious
crises in the state and the nation at
large.
Framing of the Kwara Hijab
Conflict by Guardian Newspaper

John Cardinal Onaiyekan also
rearticulated the history of mission
schools in the country and Kwara State in
particular with a narrative that favours
the Christian community. They frame the
issue as jihad which the Muslims are
waging against Christianity. Cardinal
Onaiyekan referred to the renaming of
Christian missionary schools in Kaduna
State as an example of the larger plot to
Islamize the nation.
Historical and Legal Contexts
Used in Framing the Crisis

The two newspapers adopted opposing
narratives in their presentation of the
historical facts and contexts of the crisis.
Daily Trust supported the claim that the
mission schools are public schools because
Kwara State Government has paid the
salaries of teachers since they were
classified as grant-aided schools in 1974. The
entries gotten from the newspaper argued
that ownership and control of the school is
the purview of the government because it
pays salaries of staff.
Historical and Legal Contexts
Used in Framing the Crisis

The entries from Guardian on the other hand
argued that the State and the nation at large
owes its educational development to the Christian
missions. They reminded us that the owners were
never compensated; arguing that it is standard
practice for governments to compensate owners
whenever the state takes over their properties.
that the military governor of Kwara State
Brigadier General David Bamigboye clearly stated
in 1972 that the government was only intervening
in the schools and not taking over the schools
from the missions.
Historical and Legal Contexts
Used in Framing the Crisis

The newspapers also disagreed on the
immediate cause of the crisis. While Daily
Trust reported that it was caused by the
management of a Christian mission school
which forced a female Muslim student to
remove her hijab, the entries from
Guardian reported that the crisis was
caused by Muslim fanatics who seek to
enforce Islamic traditions in a Christian
missionary school.
Historical and Legal Contexts
Used in Framing the Crisis

The entries from Daily Trust projected the
legal narrative that that the government of
Kwara State and the Muslim stakeholders had
defeated the Kwara State chapter of
Christian Association of Nigeria. They argued
that the court judgments given by the Kwara
State High Court and the Court of Appeal
expressly permit the enforcement of the
hijab policy in all “public” schools in the
state irrespective of the founder, history and
traditions of the schools.
Historical and Legal Contexts
Used in Framing the Crisis

The entries from Guardian on the other hand
maintain that the law had not ran its full
cause on the matter since there is a pending
appeal at the Supreme Court. They also argue
that the judges at the Kwara State High Court
were biased in their judgment because most of
the judiciary of the state is dominated by
Muslims. The entries from Guardian newspaper
also claimed that the judgment of the Court of
Appeal was declarative and vague. It merely
explained the position of Nigerian constitution
on religious freedom and right to worship. The
judges did not expressly rule on the ownership
of the schools or the enforcement of the hijab
policy in the grant-aided schools.
Conclusion

Religion is a fundamental issue which
elicits deep emotional outbursts among
Nigerians. It has led to loss of countless
lives across the country because the
average Nigerian is willing and ready to
fight and possibly die for his/her faith.
The editorial materials selected for
analysis reflect the religious orientation
of their publishers and they marshalled
their points in favour of the religious
group of their publisher.
Conclusion

The battle is unlikely to end soon because
there is deep-seethed mutual suspicion
among the leaders and followers of
Christianity and Islam in Kwara State and
the nation at large. The recent case in
University of Ibadan International School
where some parents insisted that their kids
must be allowed to wear the hijab to
school against the policy of the school is an
indication that we have not seen the last
of the hijab conundrum.
Recommendations

Reporters, columnists, features writers and
editors should eschew narratives that highlight
religious fault lines in their coverage of
controversial issues. They must understand that
the power of the pen comes with a lot of
responsibilities to the society. As opinion
leaders, they must understand that they are
responsible for the actions of their readers who
cut across religious boundaries.

Religious leaders should preach religious
tolerance to their followers.
Recommendations

Intra-religious schism between Sunnis
and Shiites in Islam and between the
numerous denominations under
Christianity shows that unity of religion
is not a guarantee to peace. Therefore,
they must publicly preach and
demonstrate religious tolerance in order
to provide a stable polity for national
development.
Recommendations

Readers should endeavour to understand the
inner workings of media organizations. They
should seek to acquire media literacy skills as
this would help them navigate the murky waters
of media messages. They must understand that
whatever they read in a medium is a product of
a complex mix of organizational and personal
biases. They should also seek greater religious
knowledge as this would help them to identify
and embrace areas of agreement between
Christianity and Islam.

Thank you for listening.