A Ghanaian Facebook user by the name Hassi Baniaz has narrated how a Muslim nursing student has been made to go through hell all because of her religious doctrine.
The nursing student, whose name was withheld in the posts, has been forced by the Ghana Health Service to remove her hijab before she would be given her clinical attachment letter.
Narrating the ordeal, Hassi said the nursing student came to the Regional Office of the Ghana Health Service in Accra for her attachment letter but was denied due to her hijab.
She said other Muslim nurses who were in the office with her ‘succumbed to the threat’ but the nursing student in question refused to obey.
Hassi wrote a long piece explaining the ordeal, saying:
“A Muslim nursing student has been given a letter from her school to come and do her clinical attachment in Accra. She gets to the Regional Office of the Ghana Health Service for endorsement and letter to take to her place of attachment only for her to be told to remove her HIJAB first before she is given her letter.
She was in the company of other Muslim colleagues who removed theirs (COWARDS) but she stood her ground not to remove it and for that matter she was not given her letter.
I was informed and I made a call to the Ghana Health Service. I was directed to the Ministry of Health and they insisted there was nothing wrong with her wearing the hijab as it had been legalised for Muslim girls to wear it. So I went back with her to the regional office and shamefully, up on seeing me with her, they pretended it was only a joke.
Fast forward she was not given the letter but was asked to go to her place of attachment with the excuse that her name had already been captured on the introductory letter. She got there and her name was not part.
This morning she went back to informed them about what had happened only for them to pull out the original letter and see that her name had been cancelled on the letter supposedly by a secretary who started this whole issue. Why? because she insisted on her right as a Muslim?
Violence is never the answer to anything but little things like this can make people angry. The constitution allows for freedom of religion and freedom of speech and frowns on the infringement of rights.
Let us learn to respect each other. It is that SIMPLE.
And to my fellow Muslims, instead of channelling your energy in violence that will not bring any result, use that to support our young ones to grow and fill up certain top positions that will not allow things like this to happen.
We should learn to level the playing field, if not worse prophesies will be pronounced and you can’t do FOKO. Educate yourselves and know that ISLAM is always for peace.”
She thanked her friends for the support:
“UPDATE: VOTE OF THANKS
Our Muslim lady has finally been settled. She starts her attachment tomorrow wearing her Hijab to work. Thanks for the shares, to the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service for listening.
It, however does not end here. My Muslim ladies who have made the wearing of Hijab part of their everyday fashion life please wear it with confidence but be ready to bare the responsibilities that come with it. Don’t wear the Hijab to please Abduallah instead of Allah. Don’t use the Hijab as a cover to do mischievous things. Respect it .”
But she was shocked to have learnt that the nursing student denied her the letter after all the back and forth all because she refused to remove her hijab.
Hassi wrote:
“Nursing student update: She got to her work station today and has been asked to remove the hijab. Someone help me to understand why?”
Ghana Health Service is yet to comment on this issue.
