By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
Hisbah Police in Kano State have threarened to invite parents of newly-crowned Miss Nigeria, Shatu Garko, to explain why they allowed the lady to participate in a beauty pageant they are aware is forbidden in Islam.
Garko, an 18-year-old indigene of Kano State, recently became the 44th Miss Nigeria, the first hijab-adorning Muslim to win the beauty pageant.
Though Garko participated in the pageant adorning her hijab, with no room for nudity, Kano State Hisbah Police said the Miss Nigeria contest was “illegal and contrary” to Islamic injunctions.
Stonix News reports that Hisbah police is a state agency established to enforce Sharia law in Nigeria’s northern states.
Kano State Hisbah commander, Haruna Ibn Sina, who spoke with BBC Hausa, quoted sections of the Quran that forbids a woman’s beauty to be seen by anyone else except her husband, parents and children.
Sina said the beauty of a woman in Islam should not be seen by members of the public “unless it is obvious.”
“It is maganarar haram to talk about the beauty pageant … because, first of all, the sanctity of Islam is violated in it, not that they should be taught not to be ashamed,” Sina said.
Even when the beauty of a woman is obvious, Sina said the woman holds the responsibility to cover herself with veils.
“Then they should cover themselves with their veils, and do not reveal their private parts except for their husbands, parents or children.
“This indicates that it is harmful for a girl as a believer to do such [competition],” he insisted.
According to him, Hisbah police had confirmed that Garko’s parents are living in Kano and will soon be brought into custody and interrogated for the role their daughter played in the beauty contest.
Sina, however, did not disclose when Garko and her parents will be interrogated for what he says is a violation of Islamic provisions.
Recall that Hisbah police have been vocal in enforcing what they termed ‘Islamic provisions’ on people of northern Nigeria.
Stonix News reports that the Islamic police in August 2021 prohibited the sharing of pre-wedding photos of the daughter of Emir of Kano, Zahrah Bayero, who got married to Yusuf Buhari, son of Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, describing it as a sin.
The Hisbah police have also banned fashion designers, supermarkets and boutique owners from using mannequins to display their wares in Kano State, reiterating that it “violates Islamic provisions, it is also responsible for immoral thoughts among some members of the public, all these are against Islam.”
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