ENGAGE BOKO HARAM IN DIALOGUE

28th June, 2011 PRESS RELEASE: ENGAGE BOKO HARAM IN DIALOGUE   More attacks have occurred since the Abuja bomb explosion at the Police Headquarters on 16th June 2011. Some of such attacks have been deadly with heavy human tolls. An attack on beer gardens two days ago reportedly killed twenty five people. Three others lost their lives in another attack on the Nigerian Customs' office in Maiduguri yesterday. Abu Zaid, spokesman for the Jamaatu Ahlis-Sunnah Lilda'wat Wal-Jihad, popularly known as Boko Haram, has allegedly claimed responsibility for the attacks.   The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is disturbed by the avoidable loss of lives and wanton destruction of properties. We call attention to the excessive use of force against the group by the police during the unprovoked attack on their headquarters in 2009; the extra-judicial killing of their leader, Muhammad Yusuf, as well as a former commissioner in the state who was one of the group's sympathizers as major casus belli for the militarization of Boko Haram. The failure of the Nigerian judicial system to prosecute and punish the police officers responsible for this criminal highhandedness worsened the situation. Unfortunately other Islamic organizations failed in loco parentis. Instead of counseling Boko Haram, they chose to isolate members of the group.   We also have no iota of doubt that the escalation of the Boko Haram crisis can also be traced to the promotion of socio-economic imbalance by successive Nigerian governments. The gap between the rich and the poor gets wider everyday. Corrupt politicians who steal billions of naira go free after getting plea-bargaining while the hungry man who steals one tuber of yam is sentenced to five years in jail with hard labour. The leaders are dealers. The lawmakers are lawbreakers.   MURIC appeals to the Federal Government to take the bull by the horn by engaging in active dialogue with the Boko Haram before it is too late. The United States is already talking to the Taliban. Britain succeeded in stopping the spate of terrorist activities in its territory by talking to the Irish National Liberation Army. France and Spain are in active dialogue with the Basque Euskadi. Nigeria has talked to the militants of the Niger Delta and the result has been wonderful.   In this regard, we commend former governor Danjuma Goje of Borno State for tendering public apology to the Boko Haram in the Daily Trust of Friday 24th 2011. Nothing is too much in the interest of peace. Grandstanding is the most dangerous stance.   Above all, governments at all levels must provide jobs for the huge army of unemployed Nigerians for whom Shaytan has built ready factories. The police must come off its high horse. There is an urgent need for the Nigerian Police to reengineer the minds of its men. With the exception of an infinitesimally few officers, the Nigerian Police is unnecessarily bossy, bullish and tyrannical. Civillians are treated like animals. Our policemen lack decorum. They do not see themselves as protectors of the citizens. They behave more like an occupation army.   Finally, Islamic organizations must change their attitude towards members of Boko Haram. Isolationism cannot solve the problem. The group must be brought closer into mainstream Islamdom under the wide and global umbrella of Almighty Allah.   Is-haq Akintola (Ph.D), Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), 234-818-211-9714 E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk              muslimrights@gmail.com Website: www.muric.net Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights Blog:       muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com Twitter:   twitter.com/muslimconcern           Be just Justice is the soul of peace No one can deny one and have the other Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace

ENGAGE BOKO HARAM IN DIALOGUE

28th June, 2011 PRESS RELEASE: ENGAGE BOKO HARAM IN DIALOGUE   More attacks have occurred since the Abuja bomb explosion at the Police Headquarters on 16th June 2011. Some of such attacks have been deadly with heavy human tolls. An attack on beer gardens two days ago reportedly killed twenty five people. Three others lost their lives in another attack on the Nigerian Customs' office in Maiduguri yesterday. Abu Zaid, spokesman for the Jamaatu Ahlis-Sunnah Lilda'wat Wal-Jihad, popularly known as Boko Haram, has allegedly claimed responsibility for the attacks.   The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is disturbed by the avoidable loss of lives and wanton destruction of properties. We call attention to the excessive use of force against the group by the police during the unprovoked attack on their headquarters in 2009; the extra-judicial killing of their leader, Muhammad Yusuf, as well as a former commissioner in the state who was one of the group's sympathizers as major casus belli for the militarization of Boko Haram. The failure of the Nigerian judicial system to prosecute and punish the police officers responsible for this criminal highhandedness worsened the situation. Unfortunately other Islamic organizations failed in loco parentis. Instead of counseling Boko Haram, they chose to isolate members of the group.   We also have no iota of doubt that the escalation of the Boko Haram crisis can also be traced to the promotion of socio-economic imbalance by successive Nigerian governments. The gap between the rich and the poor gets wider everyday. Corrupt politicians who steal billions of naira go free after getting plea-bargaining while the hungry man who steals one tuber of yam is sentenced to five years in jail with hard labour. The leaders are dealers. The lawmakers are lawbreakers.   MURIC appeals to the Federal Government to take the bull by the horn by engaging in active dialogue with the Boko Haram before it is too late. The United States is already talking to the Taliban. Britain succeeded in stopping the spate of terrorist activities in its territory by talking to the Irish National Liberation Army. France and Spain are in active dialogue with the Basque Euskadi. Nigeria has talked to the militants of the Niger Delta and the result has been wonderful.   In this regard, we commend former governor Danjuma Goje of Borno State for tendering public apology to the Boko Haram in the Daily Trust of Friday 24th 2011. Nothing is too much in the interest of peace. Grandstanding is the most dangerous stance.   Above all, governments at all levels must provide jobs for the huge army of unemployed Nigerians for whom Shaytan has built ready factories. The police must come off its high horse. There is an urgent need for the Nigerian Police to reengineer the minds of its men. With the exception of an infinitesimally few officers, the Nigerian Police is unnecessarily bossy, bullish and tyrannical. Civillians are treated like animals. Our policemen lack decorum. They do not see themselves as protectors of the citizens. They behave more like an occupation army.   Finally, Islamic organizations must change their attitude towards members of Boko Haram. Isolationism cannot solve the problem. The group must be brought closer into mainstream Islamdom under the wide and global umbrella of Almighty Allah.   Dr. Is-haq Akintola, Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) 234-818-211-9714 234-803-346-4974   Is-haq Akintola (Ph.D), Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), 234-818-211-9714 E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk              muslimrights@gmail.com Website: www.muric.net Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights Blog:       muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com Twitter:   twitter.com/muslimconcern           Be just Justice is the soul of peace No one can deny one and have the other Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace

MURIC CONDEMNS BOMBING OF POLICE HQ

16th June, 2011 PRESS RELEASE: MURIC CONDEMNS BOMB BLAST IN ABUJA POLICE HQ       The Nigeria Police headquarters was hit by a powerful bomb explosion today. Several cars were reportedly destroyed. Reports of human casualties are yet to be confirmed.   The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is saddened by this grave development. Though no group has claimed responsibility for this gruesome attack, it is nonetheless the handiwork of disgruntled elements who have one or two grudges against the police.   MURIC asserts that life is sacred and nobody except Allah has the right to take the life of another fellow homo sapien. It is clear that this attack was aimed at the heart of the police force thereby implying a desire for vengeance or a demonstration of dissatisfaction with certain operations of the Nigerian police. We strongly condemn this violence outburst in its entirety. It is high time Nigerians realized that violence cannot solve the nation's problems. We call upon Nigerians to embrace dialogue as the ultimate panacea for resoving differences. Dialogue builds. Violence destroys.     MURIC urges the security agencies to fish out the culprits of this barbaric act. We appeal to the Federal Government to immediately engage all groups and different shades of opinions in dialogue. We advise the youth to shun violent propensities.    Dr. Is-haq Akintola, Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) 234-818-211-9714 234-803-346-4974       Is-haq Akintola (Ph.D), Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), 234-818-211-9714 E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk              muslimrights@gmail.com Website: www.muric.net Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights Blog:       muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com Twitter:   twitter.com/muslimconcern           Be just Justice is the soul of peace No one can deny one and have the other Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace

ISLAMIC BANK CONTROVERSY IN NIGERIA

15th June, 2011 PRESS RELEASE: LEAVE THE ISLAMIC BANK ALONE       Bishops of the Dioceses in the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion have urged the Senate and Federal House of Representatives not to pass any bill that would make the proposed Islamic bank to see the light of the day. According to the Anglican Bishop of Enugu, Rt. Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma, the emergence of a religious bank "would pose serious threat to the unity of the country" and that they oppose the move because of its "religious connotation."   Millions of Nigerian Muslims who have been eager to put their money in halal (acceptable by Islamic standard) accounts will have the opportunity to do so. The present situation whereby there is no single Islamic bank constitutes a breach of the Allah-given and fundamental rights of Muslims in the country. It stands in contradistinction to the principle of freedom of religion as provided in Section 38 of the 1999 constitution, particularly the right to "manifest" and "practice" one's religion.   We assert clearly, unambiguously and unequivocally that Nigeria's democracy remains a sham until every Nigerian enjoys all his or her rights as enshrined in the constitution. The rights of Nigerian Muslims have been trampled upon in this country for too long. At present, Muslims are forced to patronize financial institutions which operate riba (usury) and which compel Muslims to act against their faith. This is a clear indication of lack of religious freedom.   We call on Nigerians to be objective this time around. The Muslims need Islamic banks. The fact that others do not need it does not mean that they should stand in the way of the Muslims. People read religion into everything but claim that it is not religion when they wish to do mischief.   We call the attention of the Federal Government to this most dangerous trend. We charge the National Assembly to ignore the call of extremists opposing the establishment of an Islamic bank. The security agencies must also pay attention. The international community also needs to watch these developments. A section of the federation is lording it upon another. It had better not be.   The spirit of 'live and let live' is not there. Nigerian Christians are comfortable with the status quo and its pro-Western banking system. Their Muslim counterparts are not. The Muslims are not calling for the abolition of the existing 'Christian' banking system. They are simply asking for an Islamic banking system to run parri passu with what is on ground. Yet Christians are saying, "No. You cannot have yours. You must continue to accept ours." In  short, Christian standards are being imposed on Muslims. It violates the principles of peaceful coexistence.   Christians are forcing Muslims to do things the Christian way. Muslims are being robbed of the vital sense of belonging needed to forge a united country.   The anti-Islamic bank camp is simply an agent provocateur and it should be closely watched. Britain has been operating Islamic banks since 2004 and it has not made that country less British. The first Islamic bank in Italy opened in 2008. We warn that blind and uninformed opposition is dangerous in a democratic setting. The current development also reveals that all the noise about religious tolerance has been to no avail. Looking for religious tolerance in the anti-Islamic bank camp is like looking for a needle in a collection of hay stacks.   MURIC demands parity in the polity. We dismiss the Anglican Bishops' declaration against the establishment of Islamic banks as parochial, mischievious and bigoted. The threat by the bishops to go on demonstration if their position is ignored is not only callous, it is shallow and provocative.   Dr. Is-haq Akintola, Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) 234-818-211-9714 234-803-346-4974   Is-haq Akintola (Ph.D), Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), 234-818-211-9714 E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk              muslimrights@gmail.com Website: www.muric.net Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights Blog:       muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com Twitter:   twitter.com/muslimconcern           Be just Justice is the soul of peace No one can deny one and have the other Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace

INAUGURATION: HOW MUCH DID IT COST?

2nd June, 2011 PRESS RELEASE: INAUGURATION: HOW MUCH DID IT COST? ASSETS MUST BE DECLARED NOW   The new administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was inaugurated  on Sunday, 29th May, 2011. Also inaugurated were new administrations in most states of the federation where the governors were sworn in.          The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) congratulates President Jonathan and all the new governors. We also felicitate with fellow Nigerians on this memorable occasion as Nigeria marks another significant milestone in its stride towards an enduring democracy.   MURIC asserts that transparency in governance is a major parameter for measuring good governance and the delivery of the dividends of democracy to the citizenry. A good starting point towards this golden ideal is for the presidency to tell Nigerians the cost of the inauguration at federal level. All state governors where inaugurations took place must also reveal the cost of the inauguration.   Today was born from the wombs of yesterday. Nigerians have learnt a lot from the kleptomania syndrome of the past in which leaders impoverished the people, lavished our resources on grandiose projects, their wives and children, their in-laws, their cronies, court-jesters and boot-lickers. While enjoining moderation, Qur'an 17:26-27 describes profligates as brothers of Shaytan. From now on, Nigerians want to know how much is spent at every step.   A second step in this direction is for all elected leaders of the people from the presidency to the law-makers in the states to declare their assets as at 29th May, 2011.   Nigerians have the right to know the economic status of Goodluck Jonathan, the state governors, returned and newly elected senators, returned and new members of the House of Representatives as well as state legislators. It is only by declaring their assets now that the citizens and indeed the anti-fraud agencies can detect any financial misdemeanor at the time of their exit in 2015.   Finally, therefore, MURIC charges the federal and state governments to tell Nigerians how much the May 29 inauguration cost Nigerian tax-payers. Secondly, we demand that President Jonathan and all newly installed state governors declare their assets immediately.   Is-haq Akintola (Ph.D), Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), 234-818-211-9714 E-mail: muslimrightsconcern@yahoo.co.uk              muslimrights@gmail.com Website: www.muric.net Yahoo Group: groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimrights Blog:       muslimrightsmuric.blogspot.com Twitter:   twitter.com/muslimconcern           Be just Justice is the soul of peace No one can deny one and have the other Neither can violence or naked force bring lasting peace