2nd January, 2021
NEW YEAR MESSAGE:
ADDRESS GRIEVANCES OF MUSLIMS
- MURIC
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has
asked the Federal Government (FG) to address the grievances of Nigerian
Muslims. The Islamic human rights group linked such grievances with deradicalisation
and traced religious violence to the denial of Islamic fundamental human
rights. The group also reiterated the six reliefs being sought by Nigerian
Muslims.
This was disclosed in MURIC’s new year
message which was circulated on Saturday, 2nd December, 2020 by the
group’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The message reads:
“Nigerians celebrated the first day of
the Gregorian calendar yesterday, 1st January, 2021. Thus we
heralded the new year and bid farewell to year 2020 which many people around
the world would wish had never come. It was a year of trauma particularly with
the advent of COVID-19 pandemic, the attendant prolonged lockdown and #EndSARS commotion.
“It was equally a year of tumult for
Nigeria as insecurity reigned supreme with Boko Haram, bandits and kidnappers striking
at will. Above all, Nigerians from all walks of life experienced disruption of
socio-economic life which compelled them to raise both old and fresh grievances
with the Federal Government (FG).
“Nigerian Muslims also articulated six
grievances which they called on FG to address during the year 2020 but FG has
not attended to any of our requests. This is not good enough. It is our belief
that the war against Boko Haram is prolonged because FG is not adopting the
carrot and stick technique. Government must not rely on the use of force alone.
As Nigerian soldiers fight Boko Haram on the battle field, it must engage in genuine
dialogue with Muslim leaders and groups in the country.
“Deradicalisation will remain a farce until
all Allah-given fundamental human rights are willingly rendered to Nigerian
Muslims. FG must muster enough political will to address the lopsidedness in
the Nigerian socio-economic landscape, particularly those that have religious
colouring. Nigeria as at today is a Christianised colony where Muslims are held
in agonising bondage.
“There is every likelihood that those
who have taken up arms will turn repentant if they see government introducing
reforms which conform with the yearnings of Muslims in the country. This is the
carrot. But a situation whereby Muslims continue to suffer excruciating pain
everyday without any hope in sight is the major cause of the protracted
insurgency in the North East. The perception of insurgents seeking the forceful
establishment of an Islamic caliphate is that Nigeria is being run along
Christian line and all Islamic landmarks have been eliminated. FG owes it a
duty to correct this erroneous and dangerous perception.
“Exempli gratia, FG declared national holiday yesterday
which was 1st January, 2020 in recognition of the Christian
Gregorian calendar. But the same FG has ignored the age-long demand of Nigerian
Muslims for the recognition of the first day of the Hijrah calendar (1st
Muharram) by declaring a holiday on that date. This is in spite of the fact
that 1st Muharram has been recognised at state level by some states
around five years ago and had started declaring holidays for it.
“FG is thereby
giving us the impression that Nigeria only recognises Christianity at the
national level but Islam is non grata. This is gross injustice and it is
a major grievance nursed by conscious Muslims against the Nigerian state. A
father who has two or three children but displays open preference for one has
invited disharmony. FG has a duty in loco parentis to balance this lop-sidedness
by giving the same official recognition to 1st Muharram in the name
of justice.
“In the alternative, FG should withdraw recognition
for any first day of the year thus leaving the decision to states to handle. In
that circumstance, any state that wishes to recognise 1st January or
1st Muharram or both will be free to do so. This is what should
obtain in a true federation. It is part of what FG should consider in its
restructuring project. Those who are clamouring for restructuring should prepare
their minds for this. Restructuring should not be a one way affair. Nigerian Muslims
are also demanding restructuring.
“The Hijrah holiday
question is just one of the six reliefs being sought by Nigerian Muslims. In
summary, the remaining five are : recognition for Islamic marriages; the Friday question; acceptance
of caps, turban, hijab and beards for identity cards, driving licences and
international travelling passports; acceptance of beards and hijab in uniformed
organisations like the army, police, NYSC, etc and, finally, establishment of Shariah courts in all states
where there is significant number of Muslims.
“It is our contention that no true deradicalisation of extremist
religious groups can take place without addressing the grievances of Nigerian
Muslims. Denial of the rights of Muslims tantamounts to depriving them of what
Allah gave them freely. We assert that all human rights were first guaranteed
by the Supreme Creator, Allah, before homo sapiens sought to incorporate
them in man-made laws. Any infringement on the right of man is therefore a sin
before Almighty Allah and a violation of the laws made by men.
“Almighty Allah says
in Qur’an 17:70, ‘We have honoured the son of Adam. We elevated them both on
land and the sea. We also provided good things for them and preferred them above
many of our creatures.’ It is therefore a desecration for any government,
institution or individual to deny Muslims their Allah-given fundamental human
rights.
“MURIC appeals to
all Islamic organisations, groups and Muslim individuals to eschew bitterness, rancor
and violence in the pursuit of their religious and civil rights and liberties.
We urge all stakeholders to give the FG, state governments and institutions
more time to study and fully understand the plight of Muslims in the country.
In particular, we appeal to groups like Al-Qaedah, Boko Haram, ISIS and ISWAP
who have already embarked on violence to rescind their decision, surrender
their weapons and give peace a chance.”
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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