3rd August, 2020
PRESS RELEASE:
MURIC
REJECTS WAEC’S ANTI-MUSLIM TIMETABLE
An Islamic human rights
organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected the examination timetable
recently released by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for the
conduct of the 2020 West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE)
scheduled to begin on Tuesday, 11th August, 2020. The organisation
based its rejection on the clash between WAEC’s timetable and the period of Friday
Jumu’ah prayers.
This was made known to
newsmen in a press statement issued on Monday, 3rd August, 2020 by
Professor Ishaq Akintola, Director and Founder of the organization.
The group said, “WAEC has
again fixed some of its subjects for the period of the Muslim Friday Jumu‘ah prayer
in its examination which begins next week Tuesday 11th August, 2020.
These are papers that Muslim candidates are also expected to take. The
implications are very serious.
“WAEC is deliberately
creating a wedge between young Muslims and the mosque. WAEC is making it impossible
for Muslim youth to worship. The examination body is encroaching upon
Allah-given fundamental rights of Muslim candidates to access freedom of
religion as guaranteed by Section 38 (i) & (ii) of the Constitution of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria. At best, the examination body is reducing the
chances of good performance among Muslim candidates.
“A quick glance at the timetable
recently released by WAEC shows that there are at least three clashes between
examination periods and Muslim prayers on Fridays: Management-in-Living (2 pm, Friday
14th August, 2020); Literature-in-English (2 pm, Friday 21st
August); Health Science (1.30 pm, Friday, 4th September).
“This timetable is exclusive,
sectional, parochial, insensitive and provocative. It is an invitation to
anarchy. It is designed to cause pain to Muslim candidates. It is therefore the
handiwork of sadists and anarchists. It smirks of an anti-Muslim machinery
oiled by the passion for hate and injustice.
“This is in spite of efforts made by us to guard against this kind of
clash. It will be recalled that MURIC issued a proactive press statement on Tuesday
23rd June, 2020 under the caption ‘Consider the Friday Question in
Your Timetable: MURIC Tells WAEC’. This press release was expected to remind
WAEC of the need to avoid the present controversy. But WAEC ignored it.
“The examination body cannot claim
ignorance of this reminder because it was well published by the media (https://iwitness.com.ng/dont-let-your-exam-timetable-clash-with-jummat-service-muric-tells-waec/;
https://authenticnewsdaily.com/2020/06/23/muric-to-waec-leave-out-friday-prayer-period-in-your-time-table/
https://www.herald.ng/consider-friday-question-timetable/;
https://dailypost.ng/2020/06/23/islamic-group-issues-strong-warning-to-waec-reveal-why-terrorism-has-continued-in-nigeria/.
“We are perturbed by WAEC’s
recalcitrance. The fact that the examination body ignored the above advice
shows that it deliberately targets Muslims for persecution. It inflicts
unbearable psychological trauma on young Muslim candidates. It is unacceptable.
This has to stop.
“There is also enough
evidence that this is not the first time WAEC will fix examinations during the
Muslim prayer period on Friday. MURIC’s struggle with WAEC over the Friday question
is of great antiquity. Unfortunately WAEC does not appear ready to learn from
history.
“We will cite at least two
past clashes and our interface with the examination body. The timetable clashed
with Jumu‘ah service in 2015 and MURIC cried out thereby forcing the
examination authority to adjust its timetable (https://guardian.ng/features/muslim-students-at-crossroads-over-waec-exams/.
Again in 2018 WAEC reenacted the same scenario. MURIC kicked again (https://www.blueprint.ng/muric-criticises-waec-examinations-time-table-2/;
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/262040-muslims-criticise-waec-over-exams-timetable.html
) and WAEC adjusted its
timetable (https://tribuneonlineng.com/waec-readjusts-exam-timetable-to-accommodate-jumat-service/
https://www.thecable.ng/243939-2 ‘WAEC
Changes Exam Timetable After Pressure From Muslim Group’).
“It was due to this constant occurrence that we took a proactive step two
months ago by cautioning WAEC not to allow its timetable to clash with the Jumu‘ah
period this year but the leopard refused to change its skin. Is WAEC deaf? How
can a public institution be so insensitive? What have the Muslims done to
deserve being treated like blacks in apartheid South Africa?
We wonder why it should be so
difficult for WAEC to leave out three hours only (from 12 noon to 3 pm) on Fridays
in its examination timetable to allow Muslims to worship. Muslim candidates
need three hours because the prayer usually starts around 1 pm. They need at
least one hour to get to the mosque, one hour for the service inside the mosque
and another one hour to return to the examination hall.
“Muslims everywhere in
the world do not joke with the Friday Jumu‘ah prayer. This special weekly
prayer has divine and scriptural basis in Qur’an 62:9-11 and any attempt to
circumspect it by any means constitutes a challenge to divine authority. Justice
also demands that the Muslim prayer period be respected by all, especially by WAEC
because the Christian Sunday remains sacrosanct. Perhaps WAEC examinations
should be held on Sunday morning if it will not respect the Muslim prayer
period.
“What right does WAEC have to
force Muslim candidates to write examination during Friday prayer time when the
examination body does not fix its examinations on Sunday to disturb Christian
worship? Is WAEC deliberately destabilizing Muslim candidates? How can a Muslim
candidate be in the right frame of mind to sit for an examination slated for 2
pm on a Friday when he must be in the mosque from 1 pm to 2.30 pm? What is WAEC’s
gameplan? Is WAEC’s timetable planned by double agents?
“MURIC calls the attention of
the Federal Government and the Ministry of Education to WAEC’s excesses. Muslim
candidates should not be blamed if they refuse to write examination under
duress. Any examination that infringes upon freedom of religion is ultra
vires, unlawful, illegal, illegitimate and unconstitutional. Candidates for
such examinations acting alone or in conjunction with their parents have every
right to use every lawful means to stop the examination.
“WAEC is therefore invited to take notice of impending action by Muslim
candidates unless it adjusts its timetable to accommodate Muslim Jumu‘ah
service during the coming examinations. Muslim candidates must be given three
hours every Friday. This is non-negotiable. Nigerian Muslims will liberate
themselves from slavery, serfdom and religious apartheid if government is
lackadaisical. The only thing MURIC opposes is violence.
“Our message to WAEC is very
clear and simple: ‘We warned you early enough but you decided to dare Nigerian
Muslims with your satanic timetable. We are returning it ‘back to sender’.
Adjust your timetable and stop provoking Muslims forthwith. Let the Muslims go.”
#LettheMuslimsgo.
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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