5th
October, 2020
PRESS RELEASE:
RESTRUCTURING: MUSLIMS SEEK SIX RELIEFS - MURIC
Sequel
to the clamour for restructuring Nigeria, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has
reminded the Federal Government and the general public of the six reliefs it
enumerated and demanded for Nigerian Muslims since October, 2017.
The
six reliefs were revisited in a press statement issued by the Director of
MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Tuesday, 5th October, 2020,
exactly three years later.
The
statement reads:
“We
demanded six reliefs on behalf of Nigerian Muslims exactly three years ago. The
reliefs were contained in a press release issued by MURIC on 9th
October, 2017. We are aware that the present government is not positively
disposed to restructuring and it has declared its determination to avoid it. Nonetheless,
we have decided to represent demands which are of special interest to Muslims for
the records.
“Let
us make it abundantly clear ab initio that MURIC has zero tolerance for
separatist and secessionist proclivities. We therefore reiterate our rejection
of demands for Biafra, Oduduwa Republic and all other parochial, selfish and
unpatriotic agitations.
“It
is equally important at this juncture to state that this press statement is
designed to remind those who are agitating for the balkanization of Nigeria and
restructuring that they are not the only ones who have grudges in this union.
Just as there is no perfect marriage, there is no nation in the world without
its headaches. In the same vein, just as couples manage their imperfections and
try to understand their differences in order to avoid broken homes, so do stakeholders
in nation-building sink their group interests for national cohesion.
“We
reproduce below our press statement dated 9th October, 2017 and
captioned ‘Restructuring Nigeria: Muslims seek Six Reliefs’ (https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/245569-restructuring-islamic-group-muric-seeks-six-reliefs-nigerian-muslims.html).
It should be noted that none of the six demands has been addressed hitherto:
“The Federal
Government appears set for restructuring particularly with the setting up of a
committee on this crucial matter by the ruling party, the All Peoples’ Congress
(APC). Restructuring became popular after the South East, South South and a
section of the South West complained about marginalization. Several politicians
from both the opposition and the ruling party have since spoken in support of
this clamour.
“However, we of
the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) dissociate ourselves from all agitations for
secession. We condemn all irredentist movements rearing their ugly heads in
Southern Nigeria, particularly the agitation for the creation of Oduduwa
Republic. We affirm clearly, unambiguously and unequivocally, that Muslim
leaders in Yorubaland were not carried along before those demands were tabled.
Nonetheless, just as some ethnic groups have complained of disaffections, we
contend that Nigerian Muslims also nurse serious grudges bordering on
marginalization against the Nigerian state.
“We must start
from the lanes of history because today was born from the wombs of yesterday.
Islam has been in Nigeria since the 11th century and the
British met Islam on ground when they arrived in the 19th century
(800 years later). The British did not deem it fit to observe the rules of
natural justice when they colonized the country as all Islamic landmarks were
eliminated and supplanted with a wholly Christian system.
“This injustice
may have been at the root of frequent religious crisis in Nigeria because
successive governments after independence refused to listen to the agitations
of Muslims for a review of the status quo. The issues being
raised by Muslims are listed in the following paragraphs so that the
authorities may address them when restructuring eventually begins.
“One: Nigerians
enjoy a total of eight (8) public holidays in a year. These are Christmas Day,
Boxing Day, New Year Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Id al-Kabir, Id al-Fitr
and Maulud an-Nabiyy. Five (5) of the eight holidays belong to Christians
(Christmas Day, Boxing Day, 1st January, i.e, New Year Day,
Good Friday and Easter Monday). Only three (3) holidays belong to Muslims, viz,
Id al-Kabir, Id al-Fitr and Maulud an-Nabiyy.
“Restructuring
should give Muslims 1st Muharram. This will bring the total
number of Muslim holidays to four while Christian holidays remain five.
“Two: Christian
marriages contracted inside churches or registries are held sacrosanct
everywhere in Nigeria whereas Muslim marriages (nikah) are not
recognized for any official purpose. Muslim couples find themselves in a cul
de sac each time they presented their Islamic marriage certificates
for official purposes. It is paradoxical that in a democracy, one marriage
conducted by a religious group is acceptable while the other is not. What kind
of constitution is Nigeria using?
“Islamic
marriages should be recognized in all official circles where Christian
marriages are recognized. The Nigerian Marriage Act (1990) should therefore be
revisited.
“Three: Nigeria
has a two-day weekend, viz, Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was a
half day during the colonial era and Sunday was the only full day at the
weekend. However, Saturday was made a full day to favour the Seventh Day
Adventists, a Christian denomination during the regime of General Yakubu Gowon,
a Christian military ruler. It is very clear, therefore, that the two weekend
days recognized in Nigeria belong to Christians while Muslims have none since
Friday, the Muslim day of worship, remains a working day.
“It is pertinent
to note that Friday was a work-free day until the British brought Christianity
and stopped Muslims from enjoying their Allah-given fundamental human right.
The relief we are seeking through restructuring is that Friday should be
declared free to assume parity with the Christians’ Sunday. While we are not
seeking anarchy, we are confident that the Federal Government (FG) has all the
paraphernalia of administration to work out the modalities.
“Four: Immigration
officials engage in regular stereotyping of Muslims who apply for international
passports. They intimidate Muslims particularly at the point of taking
pictures. Muslim males are ordered to remove their caps; Imams are coerced into
removing their turbans; bearded Muslims are compelled to shave or trim their
beards; hijab-wearing Muslim women are made to remove their hijabs or ordered
to draw their hijab backwards to reveal their ears. The same scenario plays
itself out in driving licence, national identity card offices and during
registration for elections.
“In the process,
thousands of Muslims have been denied international passports, driving licences
and national identity cards while millions have been disenfranchised
during elections. The authorities must find a way of stopping the persecution
and profiling of Muslims.
“Five: Uniformed
groups in Nigeria, including the army, police, uniformed voluntary groups,
nurses, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), students of primary and
secondary schools, etc, use uniforms designed by the Christian colonialists.
These uniforms should have been reviewed after independence because they only
suit the Christians. Some of them constitute breaches to Islamic dress code and
offend the sensibility of Muslims who are compelled to wear the uniforms
regardless of their inner feeling of resentment.
“In view of the
fact that Western countries like Britain, Canada and the United States have
designed uniforms with hijab for their female Muslim police, soldiers,
students, etc, Nigeria’s restructuring authorities should borrow a leaf from
those countries.
“Six: There is
no single Shari’ah court in South Western Nigeria where Muslims constitute the
majority. This is contrary to what obtained in Yorubaland before the advent of
the British. There were Shariah courts in Ede, Iwo, Ikirun, Ibadan, etc. Yoruba
Muslims are now compelled to take their civil matters like inheritance,
marriage, etc to Christo-Western courts. This is preposterous and unacceptable.
“We demand the
establishment of Shariah courts in all South Western states including Edo State
where there is a significant percentage of Muslims.
“We call the
attention of FG and the restructuring committee of the APC to the above six
reliefs. Muslims are in bondage in this country and we believe that
restructuring should emancipate people in captivity. APC promised change. This
change can only be meaningful to us if it breaks the shackles around our necks.
We have begged enough for the restoration of our Allah-given and fundamental
human rights. We are tired of begging. Restructuring is about reapportioning
the dividends of democracy such that it goes round and it is not restricted to
one section.
“Colonial
administration was grossly unfair to Muslims. Nigeria was Christianised by
Britain and Muslims bore the brunt. We suffered forceful conversion, denial of
rightful employment and even worse forms of persecution. But what is most
disappointing is the policy of exclusion adopted by post-independence
governments.
“On a final
note, we demand full integration and full recognition as bona fide citizens of
Nigeria, not second or third class citizens. We are the aggrieved party. The
British most brutally and most unjustly took all we had from us, giving us
nothing in return and offering no relief. It has continued to give us a
feeling of rejection, marginalization, denial of the dividends of democracy and
lack of a sense of belonging. The time for redress is now and our six-point
relief is here for all to digest.
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
President,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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