NIGERIA GENERAL ELECTIONS: FEMALE MUSLIM CANDIDATES

25th October, 2010

PRESS RELEASE:

MUSLIM WOMEN AND 2011 ELECTIONS

The Nigerian nation is making preparations for the next general elections which are expected to take place in the year 2011. Already, new political parties are being formed and registered while candidates are emerging across the country for the presidential, gubernatorial, the National Assembly as well as local government councils. Notable among the emerging candidates are Muslim women.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) wishes to make it clear that Islam permits Muslims to engage in politics, to vote and be voted for, to exercise their civic rights and to fulfill their civic responsibilities. Homo sapiens are seen in Islam as vicegerents of Allah. According to the Glorious Qur’an, sovereignty belongs to Allah (Qur’an 2:107, 3:26, 189; 5:17, 40; etc).

All rulers, from the president of Nigeria to the chairmen of local governments are proxies of Allah (Qur’an 6:165; 10:14, 73; 35:39; 7:69; etc). Islam holds that leaders will be held accountable for their deeds and misdeeds Yaom al-Qiyamah (the Day of Judgement).

It therefore behoves Muslim politicians to play the game according to the dictates of their faith, not according to their whims and caprices. In this regard, MURIC urges Muslim women not to shy away from politics. Female Muslim aspirants should pursue their legitimate and Islam-compliant dreams with vigour. We call on the husbands of such aspirants to support their wives morally and financially.

 

However, MURIC wishes to remind female Muslim aspirants of an important proviso in their engagement in politics, namely, that a Muslim woman is not permitted to aspire to be president of Nigeria or governor of a state. She is free to contest for the posts of vice president or deputy governor. The wrong impression must not be created that Muslim women are second class citizens. Nay, they are special creatures. Women are to be honoured. They are the mothers of society. Allah made them mothers, not fathers.

Fathers are heads of families. Just as fathers cannot become mothers, the mothers must not seek to play the role of fathers. Muslim women are the protectors of mankind and sustainers of nobility. The emergence of women who seek to turn the natural order is responsible for the present turmoil in society: high rate of crime, lack of respect for human life, loss of compassion among mankind, greed of unimaginable proportion, broken marriages, child abuse, etc. The only solution to the confusion in the world today is for the woman to go back to her traditional role of a true mother of the society.

We therefore appeal to female Muslim aspirants who are eyeing the highest political posts in the country or in their states to reconsider their stands and respect their faith. Failure to step down from such high aspiration tantamounts to aggression against Allah and arrogance before their creator. Refusal to abide by this Islamic tradition will be regarded as a belligerent confrontation of Muslim voters and the outcome can only be overwhelming defeat. MURIC will mobilize Muslim voters against female Muslim aspirants who transgress the limit. We will ensure that they lose with ignominy.

Finally, we warn the various political parties in the country to resist the temptation of fielding Muslim women for the highest posts at both the presidential and governorship levels. Any political party that ignores this warning stands the risk of losing the votes of Muslims to other parties.

Dr. Is-haq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
234-818-211-9714