The dilemma of covering military assignments in hijab

I have been on the Defence beat for over five years now and have developed competence on covering the beat as the years roll by. I have also grown to understand all that is expected of reporters on the beat, including the rudiments of military ceremonies. These rudiments include both their dressings as the personnel […]

I have been on the Defence beat for over five years now and have developed competence on covering the beat as the years roll by. I have also grown to understand all that is expected of reporters on the beat, including the rudiments of military ceremonies. These rudiments include both their dressings as the personnel and ours as reporters, as well as other stakeholders. However, things have taken a different twist since insecurity became the order of the day in the country and the perpetrators are sometimes connected with some forms of dressing, including the use of hijab, which is the correct dressing for Muslim women.
I do not regularly wear the hijab.  So I can comfortably say that my identity is known in all the military formations in Kaduna State. It was rather disconcerting when I started being harassed by what I call “overzealous” security men and even women just because I wore a hijab on particular occasions. The first incident took place at the Murtala Square in Kaduna during the 2016 Armed Forces Remembrance Day. I got to the venue early, took my seat and waited for the occasion to start, while I looked around for side attractions to keep myself busy and amused.
Naturally, the programme starts with the arrival of the governor. And so I left my seat and moved forward to where other journalists were gathered to catch a glimpse of what was happening in case I might need to include it in my report. As I was standing there, I noticed some security personnel looked my way continuously as some even moved closer to me.
I sensed their action and knew that they had misconstrued me to be a security threat. So, when my phone rang, I left where I was standing to a quieter area to answer the call.  I noticed that the security personnel followed me with their eyes curiously. I finished answering my call and as I was making my way back to where I was, a female State Security Service (SSS) personnel blocked me and demanded to see my identification card. I brought it out and showed her. Apparently not satisfied, she showed it to her colleagues and they looked it over doubtfully. I got angry and demanded my ID card back after telling her that I have been covering the military for years and no one has questioned my character.
I thought my remarks would help, but all she said was that I should not have been allowed inside the venue because of the “thing” I was wearing (apparently referring to my hijab). I asked her what I was wearing, and she made rude remarks over my hijab. I got so angry and told her that I am not one of such people who show the whole world what their body looks like. Moreover, my religion did not permit some kinds of dressings, which include the blouse and trouser she was wearing. I later reported her to the Public Relations Officer of 1 Division Kaduna, who apologised on her behalf over the incident.
The second incident happened at a passing out parade at the Nigerian Air Force Base in Kaduna. As usual, I went to the venue early because I was familiar with their security checks before one can gain entrance to the parade ground. I passed the first, second and third gates without any hiccups. I parked my car and walked the remaining distance which was the tradition since the Boko Haram insurgency intensified.
On getting to the final check point before the parade ground, I was asked by a male soldier to lift up my hijab before I would be allowed into the parade ground. Of course I hesitated. Why should I open my body to a man I do not know. So, I asked him to get a female soldier before I would oblige his request. Seeing how obstinate I was, he asked of my identity and I told him I was from Daily Trust. He nevertheless asked me to slightly squeeze my hijab which I did, before he let me pass. However, I observed that some women actually unveiled themselves when they were asked to do so.
When I finally got to the seats reserved for journalists, I complained to the NAF PRO who immediately apologised. However, due to the cold weather on that day, I was forced to join the photojournalists by the side of the parade ground. I had not spent five minutes when an officer approached me, demanding to know who I was. I would have quietly shown him my ID card but for the way he addressed me. He said “You should not be standing here because of this thing you are wearing.” I felt insulted because my hijab is my religion and if anyone insults it, they insult my religion. At that point, I was past caring if he was an officer or not and demanded to know which “thing” he said I was wearing and claimed not to know what he was talking about. Thereafter, I ignored him until he addressed me properly. It was when my colleagues told him I was a journalist that he let me be.
Similarly, the third incident happened when the Chief of Army Staff visited Jaji Cantonment. I was asked to take off my hijab if I wanted to go into the venue of the programme. Even though I hung my ID card on my neck for easy identification, it still did not matter. In fact, the security man at the entrance told me that there was a new rule, and that no one is allowed to wear the hijab into the cantonment. He even said he wondered how I made it to the point where he intercepted me. It took the intervention of the spokesperson of the Army headquarters who asked that a lady search me before I could gain entrance after they appealed to me, explaining that it was due to the insecurity situation in the country.
After these incidents, I began to wonder what my ordeal would have been if I were not a journalist but a regular “bloody civilian” attending military events. Undoubtedly, I would have been denied entrance into the venue or asked to always remove my hijab which I value as a strong aspect of my religious belief.
The simple truth is that religion is a very delicate issue and as such, people’s rights should not be trampled upon in the name of insecurity. In the military, we have both male and female personnel, so it is imperative for the female ones to search the females and male search males. If that is properly put in place, there will be no contention. At this point, my mind drifted to those parents at the Passing Out Parade (POP) who just because they wanted to be a part of their children’s day of joy, did what is unacceptable in their religion. Surely, a balance is needed, and urgently too.