The New Arab: Nigerian Muslim women's hijabs and niqabs 'forcefully pulled off' at universities and schools
Ahmad Adedimeji Amobi on how to successfully pitch The New Arab
1. Name/Bio: Ahmad Adedimeji Amobi is a Nigerian writer and features journalist at BellaNaija.
2. Newsroom: The New Arab or Al-Araby Al-Jadeed is a London-based pan-Arab news outlet providing in-dept coverage on issues of democracy, social justice and human rights from the Middle East, North Africa and beyond.
3. Genre of Journalism: Religion Journalism
4. Link to published story: Click here
5. Insider Tips from Ahmad Adedimeji Amobi: The New Arab is a niche publication, so any story that does not explore religion or Islam might not be accepted. But I think what convinced the editor was the data and other instances that I provided.
6. The pitch from Ahmad Adedimeji Amobi to The New Arab:
Hello Sheefah,
I hope this email finds you well.
My name is Ahmad Adedimeji Amobi, a Nigerian creative writer, freelance journalist, and Daily Trust columnist with works in Sahelien, Popula, Critical Muslim, Brittle Paper, Litro UK, Voyage YA Journal and elsewhere. I kindly indulge your consideration for a feature piece. The piece is about the dehumanizing encounters of Nigerian university female students with their hijabs.
Nigeria is one of the largest Muslim populous countries in West Africa. About 52 % of the country's population is Muslim. Unfortunately, in the southwestern part of Nigeria, some university female Muslim students are forced to take off their hijabs and niqabs at official places, striping them off their right to perform their religion freely as recognized by the Nigerian constitution in Article 38 of the 1999 constitution as amended.
This act is precedent and strewn into the veins of the structure of Nigeria. In 2017, Firdaus Amasa, a law graduate from the University of Ilorin was denied to be called to the bar and denied entry into the bar ceremony because she used her head scarf. It would take a year before she would be called after her colleagues had been called to the bar in the previous year.
On February 19, 2021, the government of Kwara State shut down 10 grant-aided schools after Muslim students set up a protest when female Muslim students were denied entry because of their hijabs. Sometime in 2019, in Lagos, some students were denied to use of their hijabs during their registration for the West African Examination Councils.
But no one has ever properly documented the stories of university female Muslim students who are forced to take their hijabs off. Just this month, a professor allegedly took off the hijab from a female Muslim student at Ladoke Akintola University.
I have spoken with these female Muslim students who have suffered and experienced this and would like to document their stories to create awareness for the Nigerian government to put appropriate policies in place.
If commissioned, I can deliver this piece in under 1500 words and in three weeks.
I have an extensive writing skill and my work has appeared in Sahelien, Popula, Critical Muslim, Brittle Paper, etc. Every sample of my works can be found here:https://muckrack.com/ahmad-adedimeji-amobi-1/portfolio
Again, I hope this email finds you well and I hope to hear from you soon.