1st January, 2019
PRESS RELEASE:
1ST JANUARY: MURIC CONDEMNS FG FOR BIAS AGAINST MUSLIMS
The
Federal Government declared today, 1st January 2018, as a public
holiday thereby keeping faith with the practice since colonial days into
Nigeria’s post-independence period.
The Muslim Rights
Concern (MURIC) has condemned the Federal Government (FG) for granting
official recognition to 1st January for Christians to enjoy while
ignoring the myriad of petitions from Muslims dating back to the 60s
demanding recognition for 1st Muharram as the first day of the Islamic
calendar.
This was contained in a press statement signed by
the director and founder of the Islamic human rights organization,
Professor Ishaq Akintola, today, Tuesday 1st January, 2019.
“Nigerian
Muslims feel marginalised. The reality of the Nigerian situation has
subjected Muslims in the country to religious segregation. Today 1st
January 2019 was declared by FG in recognition of the Christo-Western
Gregorian calendar. This happens every year. In essence, FG recognizes
the Christian calendar but spurns the Islamic calendar despite several
petitions and appeals to it dating back to the 60s. In particular, MURIC
has consistently made this demand at least for the past ten years.
This
is religious apartheid. A society which desires peace must embrace
justice and fairness. Justice is the soul of peace. Nobody can deny one
and enjoy the other. It is this socio-economic imbalance that has been
responsible for the absence of genuine and enduring peace in Nigeria.
Muslims
suffered under colonial rule as every policy of the colonial master was
designed to eliminate all vestiges of Islam. It is most unfortunate
that successive post-independence regimes have pursued this lopsided
policy and refused to review the situation. It is disappointing to note
that Nigerian governments headed by Muslims have equally turned deaf
ears to our complaints.
“From Abubakar Tafawa Balewa to
Muritala Muhammad, from Ibrahim Babangida to Sanni Abacha, Musa Yaradua
and now Muhammadu Buhari, no Muslim head of state had the political will
to bell the cat. Though we are not unaware of the strategy of agents of
neo-colonialism whose stock-in-trade is to blackmail Muslim heads of
state with the ‘Islamisation’ agenda in order to put them permanently on
the defence, we expect that every Nigerian leader must possess the
courage to enthrone justice and equity.
“In this regard, we
applaud state governments in both Northern and Southern Nigeria which
have so far recognized the Islamic calendar and declared 1st Muharram as
holiday. Most worthy of mention are former governor Rauf Aregbesola of
Osun State and governor Isiaka Ajimobi of Oyo State.
The
fact that state governments did it and heaven did not fall shows that
FG also can do it. What FG lacks is the political will. We are telling
FG today that the courage to fail is cheap while the will to succeed is
worth a king’s ransom. FG needs to wake up from slumber and do the
needful. Justice delayed is justice denied. The time to attend to our
grievance is now.
In view of this glaring injustice and the
obvious lack of political will on the part of FG, MURIC hereby calls on
Nigerian Muslims to prepare for a change in tactics. From now onwards,
if FG continues with its lackadaisical attitude to the demands of
Muslims for parity with their Christian neighbours, we will accompany
our civil rights demands with peaceful protests. This is because it
appears that the only language the government understands is physical
appearance of agitators.
FG is the father of all. It must not be
seen to favour one against the other. It must give all equally. A
father who wants peace in the family must treat all the children
equally. This is too glaring and FG can no longer pretend not to know
that Muslims are asking for equal treatment.
The only
difference in our struggle will be its peaceful nature because MURIC’s
motto is ‘Dialogue, Not Violence’ and we will not abandon this golden
principle. To start with, we are instructing our members throughout the
federation to sit at home on 1st Muharram 1441 which corresponds to 31st
August, 2019. However, Muslims will observe the sit-at-home on Friday,
30th August, 2019 to give more effect to their demand for parity and
civil liberty.
“We refuse to be third class citizens in our
own country. Nigeria belongs to all of us. We are not asking for any
favour. We are demanding our Allah-given fundamental human right. Nobody
has the right to take from us what Almighty Allah has given us. We will
not be slaves in our land.
“In conclusion, we give notice
to FG to brace up for peaceful confrontation with Nigerian Muslims or
to grant equal status to 1st Muharram by declaring the day as a public
holiday like 1st January.”
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
Source:- Saharareporters
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