MAOLUD MESSAGE : AVOID DO OR DIE POLITICS: MURIC TELLS POLITICIANS

 

19^th October, 2021

MAOLUD MESSAGE :

AVOID DO OR DIE POLITICS: MURIC TELLS POLITICIANS 

                                   

As Nigerian Muslims join their counterparts to mark this year’s birthday (Maolud an-Nabiyy) of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), a Nigerian human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has appealed to politicians to avoid ‘do or die’ politics.

 

 

This was made known in a Maolud message released by the group’s leader, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Tuesday, 19^th October, 2021.

 

 

The statement reads :

 

“The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) felicitates with President Muhammadu Buhari, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sa‘ad Abubakar, the Nigerian Muslim community as well as all Nigerian citizens and foreigners on the occasion of the 2021 (1443 AH) anniversary of the birth of the noblest man that ever lived, Muhammad the son of Abdullahi (SAW).

 

 

“We seize the opportunity of this august occasion to appeal to Nigerian politicians to eschew ‘do or die’ politics. The body language of our politicians in recent time is not encouraging, particularly after the recent party congresses held all over the country. Desperation, greed and avarice is still boldly written on the foreheads of our politicians.

 

 

“It cuts across the political parties. Parallel congresses are held in almost all of the states and in almost all the parties. The exercise so far manifests gross desertification of the spirit of sportsmanship, statesmanship, patriotism and sacrifice.

 

 

“Why are ex-governors breathing down the necks of sitting governors? Where is the spirit of living and letting live? What did the ex-governors forget in the state houses? Whatever achievement or failure registered during the tenure of a former governor is his own story and score card.

 

 

“No ex-governor has the right to take more than one ‘last look at the Moor’. Cast your last look at the government house as you pack your belongings out of it at the end of your tenure and wish your successor well. Unfortunately the reverse is the case as most of our ex-governors fight tooth and nail to retain control of the political architecture of the states.

 

 

“Worse still, gunmen are hired to disrupt political gatherings. The fact that our politicians still believe in thuggery and hooliganism as a means of settling scores and achieving their political ambitions indicate that we are still playing Stone Age politics.

 

 

“MURIC charges Nigerian politicians to learn from Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the master of the arts of persuasion and dialogue. Though he lived as a fugitive in Makkah for several years, he returned to liberate the city from the clutches of his oppressors without a single sword leaving the scabbard.

 

 

“Though a complete alien in Madinah, its inhabitants welcomed him with pomp and pageantry. Nigerian politicians will disarm their opponents without firing a single shot if only they will emulate this great man, Muhammad. We therefore challenge our politicians to find time to learn about him. We have no iota of doubt that the Nigerian political architecture will never be the same again if they can do so.”

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director, 

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

MURIC TO ERDOGAN : STOP PERSECUTING OPPOSITION

 

18^th October, 2021

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC TO ERDOGAN : STOP PERSECUTING OPPOSITION

                                   

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, will arrive Nigeria today, Monday, 18^th October, 2021 on a state visit. However, an Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has berated the Turkish leader for persecuting opposition back home in Turkey. MURIC accused Erdogan of arbitrary arrest, torture, political killings, long imprisonment of opposition figures and critics, particularly members of the Hizmet Movement.

 

 

The Nigerian human rights group spoke on Monday, 18^th October, 2021 through its leader, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

 

The statement reads:

 

“President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will arrive in Nigeria today, Monday, 18^th October, 2021 on a state visit. He is expected to sign some business deals with his Nigerian counterpart, President Muhammadu Buhari. However, Erdogan’s visit leaves a sour taste in the mouth because of his undemocratic and tyrannical practices back home in Turkey.

 

Born on 26^th February, 1954 at Rize, Turkey and presently leading the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi), Erdogan who became prime minister of Turkey in 2003 clinged to power for eleven years before metamorphosing into a president on August 28, 2014. He cooked up a phantom coup on 15^th July, 2016 to justify sweeping changes to the constitution and he arrogated extensive powers to himself as president one year later.

 

“What followed was arbitrary arrest, torture, political killings, long imprisonment of opposition figures and critics, particularly members of the Hizmet Movement. Travelling documents of key members of Hizmet were seized, and their properties were confiscated. They were thrown in jail in their thousands without fair trial. Members of the group who were outside Turkey were disallowed from returning.

 

 

“Though Hizmet is not a political movement that could threaten his position, yet like all dictators and tyrants, Erdogan was envious of the group because the latter had become extremely popular.

 

 “Erdogan uses its diplomats in Nigeria to haunt Turkish citizens and members of the Hizmet Movement who are rendering humanitarian services in the country. They were declared persona non grata in Turkey and disallowed to enter their country of origin. Their travelling documents were seized thereby denying them right of return. 

 

 

“Erdogan also uses his diplomats in Nigeria to label members of the Hizmet as terrorists. This is a very wicked attempt to push Nigerian security agencies to arrest, intimidate and unduely punish innocent refugees and asylum seekers.

 

 

“Members of their families whom they left behind in Turkey are also not allowed to travel out to unite with their loved ones in Nigeria. Thus we find Recep the tyrant masquerading as a liberal, Tayyip the dictator disguising as a democrat and Erdogan the bully pretending to be a hero. Afraid of his own shadow, Erdogan has forcefully separated husbands from their wives and children from their parents.

 

 

“MURIC affirms clearly, unequivocally and categorically that members of Hizmet are peace-loving people who are committed to the service of Nigerians and other people of the world. This they do by establishing primary and secondary schools of international standard as well as universities and hospitals. They also assist in building boreholes in Nigeria’s public schools and villages.

 

 

“Hizmet is therefore a mere network of humanitarian workers commited to the upliftment of mankind from ignorance to knowledge and from the abyss of poverty to the pinnacle of economic emancipation. This is service to humanity per excellence. How can anyone in his right senses accuse such a movement of being a terrorist group?

 

 

“MURIC rejects the double standard and hypocritical pretence of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. We charge him to leave members of Hizmet who are resident in Nigeria alone. We call on Erdogan to fling open the doors of Turkish prisons and torture chambers if he wants to be embraced by the international community.

 

 

“The whole world is now fully aware that Erdogan is an enemy of democracy. Allah-given fundamental human rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of movement, freedom of association and the rule of law are alien to Erdogan’s political philosophy. The whole of Turkey has become a huge prison camp in the grips of a vicious ruler.

 

 

“We appeal to the world community to intervene in the case of prisoners of conscience in Turkey. Thousands are languishing in jail without trial. Too many people are being tortured by Erdogan’s agents. Hundreds of Turkey citizens who have loved ones outside the country should be allowed to travel out. We call on Amnesty International and all other civil society groups around the world to speak out against Erdogan’s inhumanity to his perceived enemies.

 

 

“We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to be wary of the antics of the Turkish president as they both engage in business deals for their two countries. Erdogan is the modern fox of the Balkans, the Otto Von Bismarck of the Mediterranean and the Jekyll and Hyde of the Black Sea. Erdogan is not to be trusted. There is no scintilla of humanity in him.”

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director, 

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

MURIC TO FG : DON’T EJECT MUSLIMS FROM ISLAMIC CITY

 

14^th October, 2021

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC TO FG : DON’T EJECT MUSLIMS FROM ISLAMIC CITY

                                   

An Islamic group, the Zumratul Jamiu Mumin Society of Nigeria (ZJM), has cried out over plans by the Federal Government (FG) to forcefully eject thousands of its members from their settlement at the Pakuro-Lotto axis of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

 

 

However, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has intervened to stop the planned evacuation. MURIC in a statement by its director and founder, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Thursday, 14^th October, 2021, described the attempt to evict the Muslims as unjust, illegal, unlawful, illegitimate and unconstitutional.  

 

 

The statement reads :

 

“We have it on good authority that the Federal Government (FG) plans to forcefully eject thousands of members of the Zumratul Jamiu Mumin Society of Nigeria (ZJM) from their Islamic City at the Pakuro-Lotto axis of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The planned evacuation is ostensibly for the purpose of an interchange and flyover which will be handled by Julius Berger.

 

“We strongly condemn the attempt to evict the only Muslim settlement on Lagos Ibadan Expressway when there are several Christian encampments along the same expressway. The Islamic City is being deliberately targeted in order to turn the Expressway into a Christian monopoly. It runs counter to the laws of natural justice. It is unjust, illegal, unlawful, illegitimate and unconstitutional.  

 

 

“By the way, why is the planned construction designed to eliminate the Islamic City when two Christian groups also exist in the same place? The Islamic City is situated between the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and Deeper Life Bible Church. Why didn’t the plan affect either of them? Why pick on the Islamic City alone?

 

 

“We smell a rat. Already, members of the Islamic organization have fingered the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, for waging a proxy war against the Islamic City on behalf of the Redeemed Church where he is also a pastor. MURIC considers this as a mere allegation which is yet to be substantiated. But the VP Osinbajo has a duty to clear his name. His office has all the chance in the world to prove his innocence or involvement as the case may be. Is it true that VP Osinbajo is using federal might to influence the eviction of Muslims from their Islamic City?

 

 

“It is rumoured that the Redeemed Camp is not comfortable being so close to thousands of Muslims residing in the Islamic City. It is also a fact that the Redeemed Camp turned back hijab-wearing female Muslim candidates who came to check their examination centers inside the camp not too long ago. This is an act of religious intolerance. It appears that the mere sight of Muslims is somehow worrisome to leaders of the Redeemed group and the Islamic City has to simply ‘disappear’ because of this.

 

 

“But the VP cannot afford to provoke Muslims in the South West at a time he is being projected as a likely presidential candidate come 2023. Or is this part of what Yoruba Muslims should expect in an Osinbajo presidency? Can Osinbajo win in Yorubaland as a presidential candidate without Yoruba Muslim votes? Concerned Muslims in Yorubaland are waiting to hear the VP’s side of the eviction story.  

 

                              

“By the way, why is the planned interchange designed to affect the Islamic City alone in a location hosting three religious groups? Why is the construction not affecting all the three? Are the engineers free from external pressure? Was the original design tampered with to favour the Redeemed Camp and Deeper Life?

 

 

“We call for an investigation of the circumstances surrounding the preparation of the design, the extent of probable external influence and the level of adherence to professional ethics in this project.

 

 

“MURIC will not stand akimbo while Muslims are exposed to humiliation and untold suffering. Evicting thousands of Muslims from the Islamic City will herald a huge humanitarian crisis. This should be avoided at all cost.

 

 

“We advise FG to tread with caution regarding the planned interchange and overhead bridge. Constructions must carry some human face. Julius Berger engineers need to take a second look at the design.

 

 

“Members of the Islamic organization have lived on the six (6) acres of land under their leader, Shaykh Abdul Raheem Bello, for 30 years. It is quite odd for Berger to suddenly come and start demolishing their homes, schools, mosques and cemeteries.   

 

 

“We suggest dialogue as a way out. The Ministry of Works can invite Julius Berger engineers, representatives of the Islamic City and notable Muslim engineers for dialogue. The Zumratul Jamiu Mumin Society of Nigeria (ZJM) is not known for violence or controversy. It is a quiet and peace-loving organization with members spread all over Yorubaland.

 

 

“An engineering redesign of the interchange is still possible. The redesign may extend to the land belonging to the Islamic City, the Redeemed Camp and/or Deeper Life in order to remove the impression that Islamic City alone was targeted.

 

 

“This will ensure that justice is not only done but seen as having been done. It will also be a win-win situation for FG in the acquisition of Roads Right of Way for the proposed interchange or Grade Separation of Vehicular Traffic Units (which necessarily includes at least a flyover).”

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Director, 

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)