11th June, 2024
PRESS RELEASE:
MURIC
DENOUNCES ATHLETICS FEDERATION OF NIGERIA FOR FIXING OLYMPIC TRIAL ON SALAH DAYS
– MURIC
The
Athletics Federation of Nigeria has allegedly fixed the trial for the coming
Olympics to start from 16th to 18th June, 2024. Meanwhile, the Muslim
Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected the chosen date for coinciding with Salah
dates which is also 16th to 18th June, 2024.
MURIC
described the development as an attempt to strangulate Muslim athletes and
coaches and deny them the opportunity to compete with their Christian
counterparts thereby opening the door wide open for an all-Christian Olympic
team.
MURIC's
allegation came via a statement issued on Tuesday, 11th June 2024 by its
Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The
press release stated further:
"The
Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has allegedly fixed the trial for the
coming Olympics to start from 16th to 18th June, 2024. It is already public
knowledge that the same 16th to 18th June, 2024 are the days of this year's
Salah.
"The
Olympic trial entails test runs to pick the best athletes who will represent
Nigeria at the Olympics. The 2024 Olympics will take place in Paris from Friday,
26th July to Sunday, 11th August, 2024.
"We
reject the dates chosen by AFN for the trials because they coincide with Salah
dates which are also 16th to 18th June, 2024. In actual fact, 17th and 18th are
likely to be declared public holidays by the Federal Government in recognition
of the Salah.
"This is an
attempt to strangulate Muslim athletes and coaches and deny them the
opportunity to compete with their Christian counterparts thereby opening the
door wide open for an all-Christian Olympic team. It is christianisation of the
sports sector.
"Instead
of giving equal opportunities to all, our Christian neighbours always find one
way or the other to edge out Muslims from various sectors. They are not ready
to coexist peacefully. They are not prepared to share. They are not tolerant of
people of other faiths, particularly Muslims.
"They prefer
systematic elimination through the provision of alternative priority. They will
deliberately fix examinations on Salah day or fix tests and important meetings during
the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) period, thereby daring Muslims in the system to
choose between going for Salah or Jumu'ah prayer and failing the examination or
test or missing the important meeting.
"Of
course the average Muslim can only have one priority, not two and we all know
what that priority will be. Who will choose to fail an examination that he has
been preparing for over a long period of time and probably an examination that comes
once in a life time?
"The
average Christian has been conditioned to cause discomfort for Muslims wherever
and whenever they have the ability to do so. This is the plague of Islamophobia
sweeping all over Nigeria at present. Only the sober, liberal and God-fearing
Christian is free of this virus called Islamophobia. We salute such saints.
"Already,
Nigerian athletes have their eyes set on the Olympics. But their families are
also putting pressure on them to celebrate Salah. In effect, they will not be
able to concentrate fully on the trial if AFN holds the events during Salah.
That means they will not be able to put in their best whereas their Christian
counterparts will not have that challenge. AFN has succeeded in making the
opportunities unequal. It is not fair. It is unjust. It is parochial.
"In the name
of justice, fairness and equity, MURIC calls on the Athletics Federation of
Nigeria to postpone the trial until after the Salah."
#AthleticFederationOfNigeria
#NoToTrialInSalah
#MuslimFestivalsMatter
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
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