NEW YEAR MESSAGE : THANK ALLAH FOR MAKING YOU NIGERIANS – MURIC

 

1^st January, 2022

NEW YEAR MESSAGE :

THANK ALLAH FOR MAKING YOU NIGERIANS – MURIC

                                   

As the curtain was drawn over year 2021 yesterday and a new year 2022 is born, an Islamic human rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has told Nigerians to thank Allah for making them Nigerians. MURIC argued that although many other countries experience earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, windstorms, wildfires, etc, Nigeria has been free from natural disasters.

 

 

Therefore, the group wants Nigerians to show gratitude to Allah by stopping all acts of criminality, fake news and hate speech and by adopting a positive attitude towards their country as the new year 2022 unfolds. Nigerians, according to MURIC, should stop being architects of man-made disasters in a land that Allah has blessed, purified and immuned from natural disasters.

 

 

This was the content of the group’s new year message issued on Saturday, 1^st January, 2022 by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

 

The new year message reads :

 

“As the curtain was drawn over year 2021 yesterday and a new year 2022 is born, we of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), wish to remind Nigerians of the need to thank Allah for making them Nigerians. Allah has been merciful on this country because whereas many other countries experience earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, wildfires, etc, Nigeria has been free from natural disasters.

 

 

“10 natural disasters shook the world in 2021 alone but none occurred in Nigeria. Nonetheless, Nigerians used their own hands to create disasters, to kill and maim and to destroy public and private properties within the same period.  

 

 

“Just yesterday, 31^st December, 2021, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), more than 500 houses were destroyed by fire in Colorado, United States of America. These were homes where hundreds of families had decorated for Christmas and they were all preparing for the advent of the new year. We should ponder on this sad incident, visualize the condition of those families today and realize that Allah, God, Obangiji, Chineke, Olodumare or whatever name we choose to call Him has been merciful to us in this country.

 

 

“These natural disasters occur around the world but Nigeria has so far been spared. Several countries fell victims in 2021 alone. In Canada, a suffocating heatwave killed 569 people in the state of British Columbia in June 2021 within five days. 170 people died in Germany in July 2021 as a result of flooding. More than 100,000 were without hydropower or electricity for days. Professors, qualified engineers and medical doctors may have been among the flood victims. Nigerians should think about this.

 

 

“Fire broke out in Sicily, Italy, with more than 500 houses burned in August 2021. The temperature was 119.8 fahrenheit or 48.8 degrees celsius. Again, there were 580 fire outbreaks in Greece with several fatalities. Evia Island had to be evacuated. There was uncontrollable wildfire in North America, earthquake in Haitti and flood in the Phillipines.

 

 

“Hurricane Ida in the US killed more than 80 people and destroyed homes in six states in a single day, 29^th August 2021. More than 1,200 homes were destroyed while 22,000 electric poles were uprooted. This rendered more than 630,000 homes and businesses without power. Hurricanes Katrina, Zeta and Delta are also common in the US.

 

 

“Have we ever had any hurricane disaster in Nigeria? Has there ever been any volcano eruption? Any earthquake at all? No earthquakes, no volcanoes, no landslides, no wildfires, no windstorms, no hurricanes, but Nigerians create their own Hurricane Boko Haram, Volcano Bandits, Wildfire #EndSars, etc, to kill, maim and destroy public and private properties.

 

 

“Nigerians have elected to be the architects of man-made disasters in their own country. They do this by engaging in several acts of criminality, spreading fake news, giving hate speech and delivering killer sermons to inflame the citizenry.

 

 

“We warn that fake news, hate speech and killer sermons have the capacity to animalise and cannibalise Nigerians, particularly the young ones. The end result could be ethnic or religious crisis of unimaginable proportion leading to massive killings and destruction of properties.  

 

 

“MURIC urges Nigerians to adopt a positive attitude towards their country as the new year 2022 unfolds. We should eschew all acts capable of causing self-induced disasters in a land that Allah has blessed, purified and immuned from natural disasters.”

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director, 

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

MURIC MOURNS PROF HUSSEIN, DR. AHMAD DATTI

 

30^th December, 2021

PRESS RELEASE :

MURIC MOURNS PROF HUSSEIN, DR. AHMAD DATTI

                                   

The death of two foremost Islamic scholars, Professor Hussein Akande Abdul Kareem and Dr. Ahmad Datti, has been announced. Professor Abdul Kareem died in Lagos on Sunday, 26^th December, 2021 while Dr. Ahmad Datti died in Kano on Thursday 30^th December, 2021. An Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has described them as two giant scholarly figures.  

 

 

MURIC’s reaction was contained in a statement issued by its director and founder, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Thursday, 30^th December, 2021.

 

 

MURIC said :

 

“Islamdom in Nigeria has been hit by the loss of two great scholarly figures who died within four days of each other. Professor Hussein Abdul Kareem died in Lagos on Sunday, 26^th December, 2021 while Dr. Ahmad Datti died in Kano on Thursday 30^th December, 2021.

 

 

“Professor Hussein was a former president of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN). He was one of the founding fathers of the Islamic Welfare Foundation (IWF), the Islamic Study Group (ISGON) and many others Islamic organisations. He was a great motivator, a team player and a transparently honest man. He was a profound ascetic who shunned worldly luxuries.  

 

 

“A professor of biochemistry, he taught and researched in several local and overseas universities including the University of Khartoum, Sudan, University of Maiduguri and the Lagos State University. He retired voluntarily in 2006 and became a full time Islamic worker. He was nominated by the International Biography Centre, Cambridge, England as the International Man of the Millenium Award in 1999. Professor Hussein died at the age of 85. He has since been buried in Badagry, Lagos State.

 

 

“Dr. Ahmad Datti was an energetic Islamic activist of no small measure. A trained medical doctor, he was the president of the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN). The deceased played a prominent role in the spread of Shariah in the Northern states of the country from 1999 onwards.

 

 

“A pragmatic Muslim leader, Dr. Datti encouraged Muslims to join politics in order to bring the teachings of Islam on probity, accountability and good governance to bear on politics and Muslim politicians. He practiced what he taught by becoming an aspirant of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the early 90s.

 

 

“He became a household name particularly in the whole northern Nigeria. He also participated in the activities of several Islamic organisations and he was the chairman, Board of Trustees of the Usman bin Affan Islamic Trust, Gadon Kaya, Kano. He died after a protracted illness at the age of 83. He was buried at the Tarauni Cemetery, Kano. Dr. Datti has left a vacuum that will be difficult to fill.

 

 

“The death of these two giant Islamic scholars has left MURIC in deep grief. We are devastated. We pray that Almighty Allah will overlook their trespasses and repose their souls in Al-Jannah Firdaus. We also pray that Allah will give their families the fortitude needed to bear the losses.

 

 

“As we commiserate with the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, MSSN, ISGON and the Lagos Muslim Community on the death of Professor Hussein Abdul Kareem, we equally condole with the governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, MURIC Kano Chapter and the good people of Kano, over the demise of Dr. Datti Ahmad.”  

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director, 

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE : MARK CHRISTMAS WITH PRAYERS FOR THE YOUTH – MURIC

 

25^th December, 2021

CHRISTMAS MESSAG :

MARK CHRISTMAS WITH PRAYERS FOR THE YOUTH – MURIC  

                                   

As Nigerian Christians celebrate Christmas with billions of their counterparts across the globe, an Islamic human rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has called on Christians in the country to pray for Nigerian youths for divine guidance.

 

 

MURIC’s admonition came as the group felicitated with Christians in a Christmas message issued on Saturday, 25^th December, 2021 by Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

 

The Christmas message reads :

 

“As Nigerian Christians celebrate Christmas with billions of their counterparts across the globe, we felicitate with our neighbours and wish them a Merry Christmas.

 

 

“We appeal to Christian clerics and church goers to spend the yuletide period in reflecting about widespread moral decadence among Nigerian youth and to pray fervently for their redemption.

 

 

“Our youth are on the path of destruction unless something is done urgently. They have no interest in hardwork. They are on the fast lane of material pursuit and they are prepared to do anything to get the good things of life without working for them. They have little regard for the sacredness of human life. Drug is the apple of their eyes. Clubing is their major preoccupation.

                                    

 

“While it is true that some Nigerians look unto the youth as leaders of tomorrow, a large majority are pessimistic over the youth of today. They see no hope in them. But we must not give up on them. We must continue to guide them. It is not too late. We can still get good results if we turn to God. The Bible says with God, everything is possible (Mark 10:27).

 

 

“Parents who have forsaken their responsibilities by failing to train their children and wards properly must also return to God. They must ask God for forgiveness during this period. They must approach God in absolute humility and total submission. They must confess to Him that they have failed as parents. They can then seek His divine guidance and go back to instill family values and norms in their children and wards.

 

 

“MURIC calls on parents to turn to God on behalf of their children and wards. We charge them to spend a substantial time of this yuletide and thereafter with their young ones. They must monitor, guide and admonish them at all times.

 

 

“They must pray for them particularly during this period. Pray that God reforms them. Pray that God intervenes in their lives. Pray that God purges them of their obsession with materialism and of all satanic propensities. Pray that they see value in honesty and the dignity of labour. Pray that God changes them into youths that are useful for their society and their country at large.”

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director, 

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)