9th 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, 9th 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)
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