SUIT AGAINST ARABIC SIGN OF ACROBATIC RELIGIOUSITY

 

16^th November, 2020

 

PRESS RELEASE:

SUIT AGAINST ARABIC SIGN OF ACROBATIC RELIGIOUSITY

      

The Nigerian Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has described the suit challenging the Arabic inscription on the Nigerian currency (naira) as acrobatic religiousity. MURIC made the assertion on Monday, 16^th November, 2020 while responding to a suit filed by a Lagos-based lawyer, Malcolm Omirhobo. MURIC’s statement was issued by its director and founder, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

 

Omirhobo argued that the Arabic inscription on naira notes portray Nigeria as an Islamic state contrary to the country’s constitutional status of a secular state. The lawyer also filed a similar suit against the Nigerian Army seeking the removal of Arabic inscriptions from its logo. The cases are being heard before Justice Mohammed Liman at the Lagos High Court. (https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/11/10/cbn-opposes-suit-to-remove-arabic-inscriptions-from-banknotes/)

 

 

 

But according to MURIC, “Omirhobo’s approach is not only naïve, it is pedestrian and kindergarten. This suit against Arabic on naira manifests acute desertification of religious tolerance, exhibition of undiluted acrobatic religiousity, NAFDAC-registered gymnastic spirituality and Oxford cum Harvard-certificated ignorance.

 

 

“How many times do we need to tell our Christian neighbours that Nigeria is not a secular but a multi-religious state. A secular state is one that does not recognize religion as in communist states. But Nigeria recognizes all the religions in the country and the Constitution also begins with the words ‘under God’. Secular states do not recognize the existence of God.

 

 

“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 says inter alia at its very beginning, ‘We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: having firmly and solemnly resolved : to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign Nation under God…’ So how can Nigeria be a secular state when we are ‘under God’? In addition, nowhere in the whole constitution was the word ‘secular’ ever used and we challenge anyone who can find that word from the constitution to mention the chapter, section and sub-section.

 

 

“Seeking to remove Arabic from the naira is the height of ignorance because Arabic is just a language like English or French, not a religion. By the way, what is on the naira is not even Arabic. It is ‘Ajami’ using Arabic letters as a form of transliteration. Even if Omirhobo single-handedly succeeds in removing Arabic from the naira, is he going to remove the numerals 5, 10, 100, 1000 indicating the denominations as well? If he cannot, then he still has a long way to go because even those numbers are Arabic.

 

 

“The numerical system (1, 2, 3, 4, etc) were invented by a Muslim mathematician by name Alkhawarizmi (died 850) in the 9^th century. Nay and more than that. Whereas ancient Greeks had men like Plato, Aristotle, Euclide, Thales, Theodocius, etc whose scientific theories only managed to survive their times and Europe boasts today of scholars like Nicholas Copernicus, Francis Bacon, Galileo Galilei, Rene Descartes and Isaac Newton with their moribund and Godless postulates, the list of renowned Muslim scientists is endless.

 

 

“The truth is that religious fanatics have grown paranoia about Islam and they arrogate the Arabic language to the religion alone whereas this is not true. Their hatred for Islam and the Muslims is transferred to the Arabic language. This transferred aggression beclouded their perspicacity to the extent that they fail to realize that Islam is not synonymous with Arabic language.

 

 

“For instance, Israel’s currency has Arabic inscription on it. Nigerian Christians who go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem every year spend Israel’s money and see Arabic on it. Did they tear it into pieces in anger? They did not ask the Israeli authorities to remove the Arabic on their currency but when they return to Nigeria they maintain their hardline opposition to Arabic on naira. Where is objectivity? Is this not articulated religiousity?

 

 

“Again, hardly would any imported electronic gadget enter Nigeria without its manual containing an Arabic section. That is business sense, not religion. But Muslim-haters are swayed by emotion and they cannot separate the wheat from the chaff. Common sense is not so common. Of course there are still Christians who are moderate, liberal and realistic. They are the few exceptions who will not allow themselves to be led by the nose.

 

 

“One major argument against the removal of Arabic from the naira is that a large percentage of the Nigerian population will be cut off from our monetary system if Arabic is removed from the naira because Arabic is one of the local languages in Nigeria. It is used by the Shuwa Arabs in Borno State. Therefore Arabic cannot be a foreign language.

 

 

“Furthermore, the Bible used by Christians in Israel, Egypt, Palestine, Libya, Syria and other Arab countries are printed in Arabic language only because that is the only language they understand. Does that make the Bible an Islamic Bible? Their church services are conducted in Arabic. Have those churches become mosques?

 

 

“Interestingly enough, God is called Allah in the Arabic Bible. If Arab Christians want to say ‘God is great’, they also say ‘Allahu Akbar’. To thank God they say ‘alhamdulilah’ just like Muslims. The population of Palestine is 12 million and 7% (about 840,000) of this number are Christians. Yet the language of this 7% is Arabic. Perhaps Omirhobo will like to apply to the International Court at the Hagues to reject them as Christians because they speak Arabic?

 

 

“Omirhobo’s argument that Arabic on naira notes portrays Nigeria as an Islamic state holds no water because if Arabic is Islam, then English is Christianity. Hence if Arabic on the naira note is Islamisation, non-Arabic letters on the same naira is Christianisation. By extension, if the use of Arabic is Islamisation, the use of English language in Nigeria, particularly as a lingua franca, is the mother of all christianisation.

 

 

“For equity, therefore, Nigeria should have two official languages: Arabic and English with priority and emphasis in that alphabetical order. But in their magnanimity, tolerance and wisdom, Nigerian Muslims have not come forward to demand that Arabic should be Nigeria’s second official language. For that reason alone, the plaintiff’s request for the removal of Arabic from the naira is frivolous, petty, selfish, myopic and parochial.

 

“Perhaps the plaintiff thinks Nigerian Muslims were the ones who initiated the inscription of Arabic on both the army badge and the naira notes. Omirhobo needs to be told that even the colonial masters inscribed Arabic on the currency printed by Britain and used in Nigeria. The words: ‘pound daya’, i.e. one pound was inscribed on colonial currency. Omirhobo may therefore need to sue the Queen of England.

 

 

“To continue along the lanes of history, it was not even Nigerian Muslim leaders who brought the idea of Arabic in the Nigerian currency in post-independence Nigeria. The man who initiated it was a Christian, a Urhobo officer by name General David Akpode Ejoor (rtd). He was the one who introduced the Arabic inscription and the Star emblem into the Nigeria Army crest. He was given the assignment and research led him to pick the Arabic words ‘nasrun minallahi’ (meaning ‘victory is from God’) and a committee made up of three ministers of the First Republic : Muhammadu Ribadu (Defence), Festus Okotie-Eboh (Finance) and Yar'adua (Works and Housing) approved his choice. Ejoor confirmed this in his book ‘Reminiscences’ (page 16).

 

 

“The Christian who took the Central Bank of Nigeria to court claiming the country has been Islamized because of the Arabic inscription on the naira note failed to see how heavily Nigeria has been Christianized by observing Saturday as a public holiday because of the Seventh Day Adventists and Sunday because of other Christians. But the Muslims are not given any day at all.  

 

 

“MURIC appeals to Nigerians not to allow the fear mongers and merchants of hate continue to spread fear and sow discord among us. Many of those saddled with the task of uniting us have become instruments of division. Ex-President Jonathan is an example. He removed Arabic from the naira because he listened to hate preachers whom he took along on his futile but numerous trips to Jerusalem. They indoctrinated him into believing that Arabic on the naira implies Islamisation. Although he saw Arabic on Israeli currency on his trips to Jerusalem, yet he swallowed the lie hook, line and sinker. Of course it cost him his much-coveted second term because his action had been rightly interpreted as anti-Muslim.

 

 

“We charge Nigerians to open up their minds in order to avoid becoming victims of accidental civilisation or, worse still, educated illiterates. Arabic is not Islam and Islam is not Arabic. One is a language, the other is a religion. Let us learn to understand, to tolerate, to give, to forgive and to love.”

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director, 
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

MURIC DEMANDS JUSTICE FOR MUSLIM GIRL STOLEN BY KADUNA PASTOR

 

13^th November, 2020

 

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC DEMANDS JUSTICE FOR MUSLIM GIRL STOLEN BY KADUNA PASTOR

      

The plight of a Muslim girl, Sadiya Idris, who was stolen by a Kaduna pastor, Reverend Jonah Gangers, has been brought into limelight. Although the case is already in court, the Nigerian Islamic human rights organization, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has called for a speedy trial and the arrest and prosecution of the accomplices of Rev. Gangers. MURIC made the demand in a statement issued on Friday, 13^th November, 2020. MURIC’s press release was signed by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

 

The group said, “Sadiya Idris of Tudun Nupawa, Kaduna, was kidnapped in 2013 at the age of eleven by Reverend Jonah Gangers who resides in Barakallahu, Kaduna, and has his church there. The reverend was allegedly aided by a dubious character called Peter. Sadiya was kept against her wish in Rev. Gangers’ house until the suspects felt it was safe enough to move her.

 

 

“Meanwhile Sadiya’s parents, Mallam Idris and Mallama Rukayya searched everywhere in vain for their missing daughter. The family lodged the case at the Gidan Gayu Police Divisional Headquarters at Tudun Wada, Kaduna.

 

 

“Rev. Gangers and his accomplices took Sadiya to Plateau State, forcefully and illegally converted her and finally registered her as Christiana Gangers Joseph in a missionary school in the state. The girl was kept in captivity for seven years (2013 – 2020) both in school and also in the reverend’s house in Kaduna during the holidays as she was not allowed to step out alone.

 

 

“Sadiya Idris (Christiana Gangers) eventually escaped in 2020 on a day she was sent to the market alone. She remembered her original background and approached Muslims in a mosque in Jos who took her to Kaduna where she guided them to her father’s house. Although Rev. Gangers was arrested, he was granted bail and he is freely roaming the streets of Kaduna.

 

 

“The case was adjourned by the Magistrate Court I on the first hearing to 18^th September, 2020, Again it was adjourned to 16^th October, 2020. But the judge ruled on 16^th October that the Magistrate Court had no jurisdiction on the matter. He therefore referred it to the Kaduna State Ministry of Justice for advice. We expected the matter to go to the High Court at that juncture but to our surprise it was referred back to the Magistrate Court where a new date of 23^rd November, 2020 has just been given.

 

 

“MURIC strongly decries this ding-dong affair. Procrastination is the thief of time and justice delayed is justice denied. Both Sadiya’s father and mother went through a long period of trauma. The pain of losing his daughter killed Mallam Idris and the mother, now widowed, is still suffering from the pangs of the horrible seven-year experience.

 

 

“Rev. Gangers is digging in. He is abusing the terms of the bail granted to him. We strongly suspect that he is attempting to subvert the course of justice. We also see a fundamental flaw in the handling of this case because no other person was accosted apart from Rev. Gangers.

 

 

“We assert that the suspect could not have acted alone. He has accomplices and the longer he remains free the deeper he would dig his bunker. We believe that right now records are being tampered with and pieces of evidence are being obliterated. There may be no more trace of the girl’s attendance in the missionary school in Plateau State by the time the case goes into full swing in the High Court.

 

 

“We therefore demand that Rev. Gangers should be re-arrested in order to get details of his accomplices from him. Thereafter, those implicated should be arrested and prosecuted along with the main suspect. Gangers’ claim that Sadiya was lost and he found her is another cock and bull story. Why didn’t he report the case at a police station or an orphanage?

 

 

“A dangerous game is playing out in Northern Nigeria. Muslim children are being targeted by Christian groups who kidnap them and take them to distant lands where they are sold to Christian families and forcefully converted. 

 

 

“It will be recalled that nine Muslim children from Kano were rescued by the police on 11^th October, 2019 after they had been kidnapped and forcefully converted to Christianity in Onitsha, Anambra State. There have been other similar cases of kidnapping for Christ. It is shameful that religious institutions are getting involved in criminal and inhuman activities like kidnapping. People like Rev. Gangers must be taught a lesson in order to make the streets safe for children.

 

 

“We call on the Kaduna State Ministry of Justice to expedite action on the Sadiya Idris case. All eyes are on the ministry and Nigerian Muslims have already showed keen interest in this particular case. MURIC will not rest until Sadiya Idris, her mother and her deceased father who died without setting his eyes on his beloved daughter, get justice.”

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director, 
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

 

MURIC TO MUSLIMS: DON’T JOIN ANY NEW PROTEST

 

9^th November, 2020

 

PRESS RELEASE:

MURIC TO MUSLIMS: DON’T JOIN ANY NEW PROTEST

      

Nigerian Muslims have been advised to ignore any invitation to join any new protest. The advice was given by the Nigerian Islamic human rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), in a statement issued on Monday, 9^th November, 2020, by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

 

The statement reads:

 

“The attention of MURIC has been drawn to subterranean rumblings as precursors of demonstrations. We like to remind Nigerian Muslims in particular and all citizens in general that the last experience we had during #EndSARS protests was very bitter as it pushed the country to the edge of the precipice. Protests are legitimate as long as they are peaceful but the last one was hijacked by disgruntled politicians, religious bigots and ethnic jingoists. The smoke from the burning embers can still be seen above our chimneys. 

 

 

“There is undisputable evidence showing that funds for the protest were provided by people who lack integrity and whose sources of income lack credibility. These are people who have been engaging in criminal activities. They have been playing hide and seek with the police and their topmost wish has always been to get rid of all signs of law enforcement agents. Unfortunately innocent but gullible Nigerians played into their hands and became weapons of mass destruction.

 

 

“Ceteris paribus, we expected the protests to abate the moment government accepted all the five demands made by the youth but this did not happen. The demands were expanded until they became frivolous, ridiculous and irrational. The ensuing destruction of properties during the protest was too massive, enough to cause goose pimples in anyone with the milk of homo sapien compos mentis flowing in his or her veins. It is also enough to discourage another protest so soon.

 

 

“Hoodlums have been allowed to destroy facilities that coming generations should enjoy. Only the apostles of Shaytan (Satan) will be happy at the sight of more than 150 new luxurious buses and other assets of the Lagos State government burnt by hoodlums during the last protest.

 

 

“To what end? Does Governor Sanwoolu ride those buses? It is so illogical. These were buses meant for poor Lagosians. How could we allow ourselves to be deceived into destroying facilities intended to make life better for the poor? Are we fighting the masses? Nevertheless, we believe that Lagos will rise again to the chagrin of envious eyes and enemies of progress. It is for these reasons that we are calling on Nigerian Muslims in particular and other citizens in general not to join any new protest. Enough is enough.

 

 

“The Glorious Qur’an commands Muslims to join hands in righteous deeds, not for aggression and destruction. It says, ‘Join hands together in good deeds and piety. But do not join others to commit sin and aggression’ (Qur’an 5:2). This is a clear injunction directed at Muslims and it is enough for them to steer clear of any new protest. Somebody once said, ‘Fool me once, shame on you; fool me a second time, shame on me’. ‘Wisdom’, according to the Prophet (SAW), ‘is the property of believers’. We should not allow anyone to deceive us into joining a rudderless protest again.

 

 

“Our observations in the last protest are that it was mainly a southern affair. The North did not participate. This tainted it with ethnic colouration. Also, while Islamic scholars and Muslim leaders in the South West shunned the protest, Christian clergymen from the region and from the South East actively encouraged it. Igbo Christians also seized the opportunity to get rid of mosques within their domain. This gave it religious bias.

 

 

“The modus operandi of the protest also exposed the evil intention of the organisers. Police personnel were attacked. Some were killed. Many were injured. About 15 police stations were burned down in Lagos alone. Nigerians forgot that nearly every one of them has at least one relation in the police force (a son, daughter, brother, sister, cousin, nephew or in-law). Yet they allowed attacks on policemen.

 

 

“What if the next policeman attacked is your father or brother? It became apparent that the intention was to enthrone the Hobbesian state, a state of lawlessness where might is right and innocent citizens will be at the mercy of cultists, armed robbers, kidnappers and warlords. Unfortunately this is exactly what is happening in many places where police has been destabilized.

 

 

“The approach was similar to leftist-communist inclination as public and private properties were mercilessly looted and innocent citizens were dispossesed of their prized possessions. On the contrary, MURIC belongs to Rousseau’s school of thought where ‘right is might’ and where there is respect for the rule of law. Hatred for the rich is contrary to the teachings of Islam. Allah gave them their riches. We too must work hard enough and we must be contented with what we have.

 

 

“The aftermath of the attacks on policemen and their stations was general commotion. Daylight robberies occurred in Lagos in particular but there were no policemen to call. It was every man to himself. Traffic gridlocks forced motorists to remain in one spot up to three hours but there were no traffic policemen to ease the flow of traffic. As you make your bed, so you will sleep on it.

 

 

“Nigerian Muslims and, indeed, every right thinking Nigerian for that matter, should not allow this to happen again. We must not join any fresh protest under whatever guise. Leaderless protests lead to chaos. Leaderless protests come with awful intentions. We should not join them. The last demonstration has taught us a bitter lesson, namely, that it is difficult to know the true intention of any protest. They may start peacefully but graduate to violent outings.

 

 

“Our major points in this advocacy are : one, Nigerian Muslims and all reasonable citizens should avoid joining any new protest; two, destruction of public and private properties can only be the handiwork of unscrupulous and unpatriotic elements; three, Nigerians should be wary of leftist-communist revolutions which aim at violent seizure of properties of the rich and the middle class and, four, attacks on policemen and burning of police stations will only open the door for criminal activities with the attendant disruption of socio-economic life whose victims will be the poor masses.”

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director, 
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

 

INCITEMENT: ARREST REV FR. ONAH NOW - MURIC

 

6^th November, 2020

                             

PRESS RELEASE:

INCITEMENT: ARREST REV FR. ONAH NOW - MURIC

      

The Nigerian Islamic human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has accused Rev. Fr. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah of using his recent church sermon to incite Christians of Nsukka to attack Muslims and destroy mosques in the town. The group has therefore called on the security agencies to arrest the clergyman. The call was made on Friday, 6^th November, 2020 by the Director and Founder of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

 

 

“The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is in possession of a video clip in which  

Rev. Fr. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah incited Christians a few days ago. The clergyman said inter alia, ‘It is not possible that here in Nsukka we hear the Muslim call to prayer from our windows as early as 4 am …’

 

 

“There is no doubt that this is an undisguised directive to attack and destroy mosques in Nsukka and, by extension, the whole South East.  Two mosques were burnt beyond recognition in the same town within one week of that incitement. A number of Muslims were also attacked and injured.

 

 

“Rev. Fr. Onah’s sermon is laced with hatred and bitterness. It is the most odious and insidious religious extremism. It is an unguarded and inflammatory verbal halitosis. There must be consequences for such diatribe otherwise violence will run a full cycle. Religious leaders who instigate violence and watch as their hate speech consume people and properties have lost the moral right to be respected as leaders.

 

 

“It will be recalled that the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has sent a petition to the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS). We are closely monitoring the situation and we are waiting to see whether or not the DSS will do the needful. It is imperative for the DSS to act for three reasons. One: it will assure victims of the attacks that there is hope for redress. Two: it will serve as deterrent for other religious leaders who may want to use the pulpit or minbar to ignite crisis. Three: Muslims who are aggrieved by the attacks on their fellow faithfuls will be assuaged.

 

 

“The ball is therefore in the court of the DSS. We fully endorse the call made by the NSCIA for the arrest of Rev. Fr. Onah. Anything short of that will be an abdication of responsibility and an invitation to anarchy. Nigeria in recent time has experienced enough violence leading to unnecessary loss of lives and the destruction of properties worth billions of naira. Procrastination on the part of the security agencies may have been partly responsible for the breakdown of law and order.

 

 

“People must be made to respect the law. Section 38 (i) & (ii) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of religion. Attack on mosques in the South East is an encroachment on Allah-given and fundamental rights of Muslims in the area. The fact that many of those attacked are indigenous Igbo Muslims depicts the height of intolerance and religious bigotry.”

 

 

Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director, 
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)