18th May, 2022
PRESS RELEASE:
BLASPHEMY: STOP HATE SERMONS – MURIC
An Islamic human
rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has appealed to
Christian clerics to desist from delivering hate sermons. The group spoke on
the heels of rising incidents of blasphemy around the country.
MURIC's admonition
was delivered on Wednesday, 18th May, 2022 by the group's director, Professor
Ishaq Akintola.
He said, "It has come to our notice that the root of
blasphemy and its proliferation in this country is the licencious indulgence in
and permission of hate sermon by Christian clerics and leaders respectively. Our
weak institutions also condone both hate sermon and blasphemy. These are
disasters waiting to happen unless we take urgent steps to plug the leaking
holes.
"This is why
the advice given by the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria
(CAN) to Nigerian Christians regarding the need for Christians to respect the
religion of others came at the right time. The president of CAN, Dr. Samson
Ayokunle on Monday, 16th May, 2022 pointedly told it's members to respect other
people's religion (https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/05/deborah-respect-other-peoples-religious-doctrines-can-appeal-to-christians/).
"It will be
recalled that the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigerian
Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa'd Abubakar, had
earlier condemned the killing of Deborah Yakubu by a mob in Sokoto. He also
cautioned against such action in future. MURIC is pleased with both leaders for
issuing such positive statements.
"But we need to
go further than that because Christians who make inflammatory statements and
utter blasphemous speeches are merely parroting hate sermons heard in the
churches. This is no news because video clips of famous pastors preaching hate
and pouring out venomous and toxic sermons on the pulpit have gone viral on
many occasions.
"It is these hate sermons which instigate the ordinary
Christian to make derogatory remarks about Islam and it's prophets. Hate sermon
is the root of blasphemy. It is good that the President of CAN has told
Christians to respect other people's religion but that is not enough.
"Pastors are next in line and CAN leadership is advised
to zero in on them. They are the ones who use their sermons to incite their
followers against Muslims and their religion. It is our contention that there
will be no blasphemy if there is no hate sermon. We therefore invite Christian
leaders to caution pastors who are in the habit of preaching hate and deriding
Islam.
“We must recognize the fact that there is suicide speech just
as there is hate speech. Anybody can love Adolf Hitler. But when someone goes
to Israel, climbs a table in the midst of a Jewish crowd and shouts ‘I love
Hitler!’ It is doubtful if his family will have anything at all to bury from
the bulk of his anatomy.
The Islamic human
rights advocacy group also cautioned Muslims and the general public against
jungle justice. Akintola said, "Although it is true that Muslims only
react when they are provoked by blasphemers, such reaction must not be violent.
Violence is a square peg. Justice is a round hole. They don't match. What you
gain is not what you lost. But it raises one above the herd to control his
emotion and allow common sense to prevail.
"MURIC believes that mob action and blasphemies have
been encouraged by the lackadaisical attitude of the security agencies as well
as the slow judicial process in the country. Those who engage in mob action
have just one dogma, namely, that the police will allow culprits to get away
with the crime for an exchange of favours. They therefore take to self-help in
the belief that taking culprits to the security agencies will not ensure that
justice is done.
"Muslims have
complained that no single blasphemer has ever been made to face the full wrath
of the law. Of course they are right. For instance, Isioma Daniel in 2001
claimed that Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would
take one of the Miss World contestants as a wife. The authorities gave her safe
passage to Europe and she was never seen again in Nigeria. But not before about
250 souls were lost in the nationwide riot sparked off by her blasphemy.
"Foreign
governments also care less about the feeling of Muslims. The Charlie Hebdo
satirical magazine fiasco of 2015 is a case in point. Salman Rushdie's Satanic
Verses of the 80s is another. Lars Vilks, a cartoonist in Sweden, who drew a
caricature of the Prophet in 2007 lost his freedom of movement to his
misuse of the so-called freedom of speech. In essence, those who misuse their
freedom of speech are bound to lose their freedom of movement. The least
scenario being hiding in the day and going out only at night.
"It is this
lack of trust in the criminal justice system both locally and internationally
that has been responsible for the phenomenon of jungle justice. It goes
beyond cases of blasphemy. Armed robbers, kidnappers and pick pockets are
quickly dispensed with through lynching and burning, particularly in our own
country, Nigeria.
“Worse still, many
innocent old women have been lynched and burnt alive in some parts of the
country. Henceforth, the police should take action against both blasphemers
and those who partake in jungle justice, at least for deterrence.
“In this regard, we call on both the Borno State Government
and the State Police Command to ensure that the case of Naomi Goni is properly
investigated. Naomi must face the full wrath of the law if her case is
judiciable. But she should not be made to suffer any injury if she is not the
author of the blasphemous post.
"MURIC calls
for urgent enlightenment of the general public in this regard. A mob cannot
effectively identify a culprit. What happens in most cases is that innocent
people are killed for no just cause.
"The slow pace
of court cases is also a major raison d'etre for the rise in mob killing
syndrome. We therefore call for a complete and total overhaul of Nigeria's
judicial system. People will stop taking the law into their hands once they are
sure of speedy and unimpaired adjudication.”
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights
Concern (MURIC)
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