Afenifere, CAN, Others: We do not need Sharia in Southwest as Islamic Council’s push persists
On Monday, religious leaders spat in faces over the proposed inauguration of Shari’a arbitration panel across South-Western region of the country by Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.
According to the president of the Islamic body, Dr. Hammed Bakare and the Chairman of the Shari’a Committee of Oyoland, Dr. Rafiu Bello, stated in distinct interviews on Monday that the Shari’a panel would go on despite the militating factors against it.
We Do Not Need Sharia In Southwest − Afenifere, CAN, Others.
Previously, the Shari’a Council pushed to inaugurate Shari’a panel in Oyo town to try and decide issues associating with Muslims.
Howbeit, the move was deterred by the Oyo State government and other religious and political leaders in the state.
Consequently, the proposed panel inauguration, which was set to hold at the Muslim Community Islamic Centre in Mobolaje Area of Oyo State, was indefinitely suspended.
A few days ago, the Islamic panel held its first sitting at the Ekiti Central Mosque, Ado Ekiti, constituted by three Khadis.
These Khadis include, Imam Abdullahi Abdul-Mutolib, Imam Abdulraheem Junaid-Bamigbola and Dr. Ibrahim Aminullahi-Ogunrinde.
Openly not pleased with the idea, the state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General Dayo Apata, (SAN) said that the current legal architecture of the state does not make provision for the Shari’a court or arbitration panel.
We Do Not Need Sharia In Southwest − Afenifere, CAN, Others
“There is an existing legal structure in Ekiti State (the Customary Court, Customary Court of Appeal and High Court) that has been handling issues relating to Islamic, Christian and traditional marriages and inheritance without any rancour or agitation,” he argued.
Seconding the Oyo State government’s position on the inauguration of the Shari’a panel in the region, the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, refuted the push and ordered dissolution of the panel “In the interest of peaceful coexistence and law and order in the community.”
We Do Not Need Sharia In Southwest − Afenifere, CAN, Others.
Reacting to the Islamic Council’s proposition on Saturday, Oba Adejugbe spoke in Ado Ekiti amidst a meeting with the chiefs and indigenes of the community, and the chief Imam and the President of the League of Imams and Alfas in the Southwest, Edo and Delta States, Sheik Jamiu Kewulere and other Muslim leaders in Ado Ekiti over the establishment of Shari’a panel in the State.
Bakare, who is the president of SCN in Ekiti State, said the Shari’a panel inaugurated “would not be dissolved nor disbanded as being canvassed in some quarters.
Bakare, who noted that the arbitration was a court, but condiment of the proclamation of the Islamic religion aimed at promoting peace, stressed that the constitution guaranteed the right of worship.
“Why should the panel be disbanded? For what? Can you ask somebody to dissolve his marriage or not to worship God the way he likes? It is not lawful for anybody to give such a command,’’ the Islamic cleric asked.
“The panel is an arbitration that we established for ourselves, Muslims, and not even compulsory for all Muslims, only Muslims that are willing to abide by the dictates of Allah as written in the Quran.
“It is just part of our way of worship, to do things according to the dictates of the Almighty God. That panel is for us, not a court or anything like that. It is an arbitration panel that every organization can establish within themselves,” he added.
We Do Not Need Sharia In Southwest − Afenifere, CAN, Others
Also, Bakare confirmed that the panel already existed in Lagos and other Southwest States.
“It is not a new thing. We have examples even in churches where they arbitrate among themselves without resorting to established courts.
“It is just to settle matters within us and the constitution of Nigeria gives us a guarantee of worship. It is part of worship in Islam to make sure that there is peace in your domain, organization, society.
“There is nothing anybody can fear from the arbitration panel, we are not forcing anybody.
It is for only Muslims who are willing to go to that panel, if you are not willing to go as a Muslim, nobody is going to coerce you to go.
‘’That is what we are doing. The constitution of Nigeria guarantees freedom of worship and practice. That is all we are doing.’’
We Do Not Need Sharia In Southwest − Afenifere, CAN, Others.
He hit back at the antagonists of the panel, saying: “All those tags against the panel are not genuine, they are just an attempt to discredit it.
“When they hear anything about Muslims, about Shari’a, they don’t want to hear whether there is anything good in it or not, whether it concerns them or not.
“We believe that nobody can stop us from being Muslims. That is how we see it.
“We have nothing against anybody, we are not fighting anybody, we are just peace-loving Muslims, we want to contribute to peace because if there is peace somewhere, it will translate to peace in the society.”
The Islamic cleric argued that the Islamic council did not commit any offence.
Throwing weight behind Bakara’s claim is the Chairman of the Shari’a Committee of Oyoland, Bello, who was insistent that the inauguration of Shari’s panel in Oyo State would continue as proposed.
Bello disclosed that a new date for the inauguration of the panel would be made known in due course.
He noted that similar panels are already in sitting in some parts of Oyo State, including Saki, Kishi and Ogbomosho, and that the hullabaloo surrounding the Oyo town panel emanated from ‘’the initial mislabelling of the panel as a Shari’a court.”
“A new date for the inauguration has not been announced yet. The inauguration of the Shari’a panel in Oyo town cannot be stopped.
“It was only postponed, and we will announce the specific date for it in due time, Insha Allah. It is our right, and there is no going back on setting up the panel. It poses no threat or harm to this society,” he declared.
Bello rebuffed the fear and concerns by some traditional rulers, stressing that there is provision for such panels in the constitution.
We Do Not Need Sharia In Southwest − Afenifere, CAN, Others
“We are not concerned about the pronouncements of certain traditional rulers.
The Constitution allows for this, and we have the Supreme Council for Shari’a in Nigeria supporting us,” he added.
Stressing further, Bello stated that the panel was structured for Muslims who are willing to settle issues such as inheritance issues, marital conflicts, and disagreement within friends and relatives.
In his statement, Islamic scholars will be used as arbitrators, providing based on Quran with the exemption of imposition of penalties, in contrary to former courts.
“This panel is meant solely for willing Muslims. Those alleging that it is part of a Fulani or Hausa agenda are ignorant. It will handle disputes between couples, friends, and others in line with Islamic principles.
‘’Panels like this already exist in Osogbo, Kishi, Saki, Ogbomoso, and Ibadan, so why is there an issue with Oyo town,?” he explained.
When asked under what legal framework the panel operates, Bello reiterated that it functions as an independent arbitration body, which does not require approval from the State House of Assembly.
“The Nigerian Constitution has provisions for it. The only mistake was in calling it a Shari’a court instead of a sharia arbitration panel. This is purely for settling disputes among willing Muslims. Those behind the uproar are religious bigots,” Bello alleged.
Osun State Coordinator of SCN Mallam AbdulGaniy Ezra assured the assured the Islamic loyalists that Osun State governor would be talked into allowing Shari’a panel to transform fully in the state.
Ezra disclosed that the panel had already been long inaugurated in Osun State since 2005.
According to him, the panel had overseen many issues involving civil matters, citing that the Nigeria 1999 Constitution makes a provision for the Shari’a courts in the country.
We Do Not Need Sharia In Southwest − Afenifere, CAN, Others.
He noted that those antagonising the establishment of Shari’a panel is South-West were not Christians, but those who are educated on the Shari’a system of arbitration.
“Let me clarify that what people are referring to as the Shari’a court is actually the Shari’a arbitration panel and it has been held for about 20 years now in Osun.
“It holds regular sittings. They hold their arbitration every last Wednesday or Thursday of the month. The panel has been sitting at the Muslim Community Secretariat in Osogbo for close to 20 years now.
‘’The inauguration was done at Oja-Oba Central Mosque, Osogbo in 2005 and since then, sharia arbitration has been going on.
“We don’t want to stop at that, what we intend to do is persuade the Osun State governor, even though is our right but we don’t take it like that, we see it as something that can be agreed on mutually, he added.
‘’We have common law courts here which are adjudicating on every issue that concerns citizens and non-citizens living in this country.
We Do Not Need Sharia In Southwest − Afenifere, CAN, Others
“Also, we have the customary court which is a provision of the Constitution, same as the Shari’a court.
“So, I don’t know why people are making noise about the creation of the Shari’a court in the South-West.
“Section 278 of the constitution said ‘there should be a Shari’a court’ but anytime our people heard anything about Shari’a court, they thought maybe some people wanted to start war.
“No, it is not like that. It is about giving the right of Muslims to Muslims,’’ he pointed out.
The Amir of the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria and one of the pioneers of the panel, Amir Sirajudeen Abdulazeez noted that there was nothing inappropriate in establishing a Shari’a panel in Ondo State, claiming it was one of the rights of the Muslims.
He, then, expressed hope that the proposed inauguration of the panel has come to stay in the state now or later.
‘’For you to say that Muslims do not have the right to adjudicate their lives based on their beliefs is nothing but an affront to their constitutionally given rights.
“It is nothing but subjugation, exploitation, and oppression. If Muslims are a minority in Ondo State, can’t we talk?
We Do Not Need Sharia In Southwest − Afenifere, CAN, Others.
“If it is in our constitution, can’t we demand it? If civil law has its roots in the Bible, customary law has its roots in idolatry–why can’t Muslims speak?
“Whether Shari’a court will happen in those states, it’s a matter of time. Muslims are agitating for it, demanding it.
“When the time comes, the government will listen to us. And when the time comes, the government feels like establishing it, they will establish it,” he declared.
Howbeit, the state Chairman of the Ondo State chapter of Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Pastor Joshua Opayinka claimed that Shari’s court was not apparent in the state.
He cited that it could only strive in the north where Muslims are the majority.
Pastor Opayinka said: “That (creation of Shari’a court) is an aberration. Why Shari’a court in Ondo State? No, that is not possible. Can the same thing be replicated in the north?
“They say that is their right. Nobody can stop them. Can we have full Christian worship activities in the north? Can they allow it?
‘If they are canvassing that, we need to sit down at the round table and strike a balance.
“In the north, we have been marginalized. Christians in the north have not been permitted to have full operations of their Christian activities. So, why are they coming here? So to come and do that, that is not possible.
We Do Not Need Sharia In Southwest − Afenifere, CAN, Others.
Also, the Organising Secretary of the Pan-Yoruba Socio-Political Organisation, Afenifere, Abagun Kole Omololu, indicates the group will not allow any persons to apply religious law into the Yoruba culture, adding that main focus of the South-west regions was development.
He said, “What Yoruba wants is not religious bigotry, we are too closely knit as a race. Religion is the last on the pedestal of our priorities. Ecclesiastical or Shari’a law will not make us Dubai or Singapore, he said.
‘’My grandfather, who died in 1957, was a Babalawo (herbalist), and yet Baba Egbe (elder) in the church.
“The concoction he prepared against smallpox is still at the back of my father’s house. Yet, my dad was a chairman of a church too.
“Because we are uniquely homogeneous as a race, what binds us together is our tradition and not religion.
“Hardly can you find any family in Yorubaland that does not co-habit as traditional believers, Muslims and Christians.
“Introducing religious law into our family will encroach into our traditional family setting.”
The Yoruba Cultural Renaissance Advocates threw weight behind Ewi of Ado Ekiti, as regard the proscription of Shari’a panel in Ekiti State.
The group noted that the pronouncement made by the Ewi of Ado Ekiti collaborates with the principles of secularism and cultural sensitivity, and enhances unity and cohesion in a diverse society.
We Do Not Need Sharia In Southwest − Afenifere, CAN, Others.
In a statement of the President of the Body, Ifabunmi Esuremilekun, the YCRA commended the decision, calling it a move that enhances religious harmony, tolerance and peaceful coexistence within several groups in Ekiti.
“Do they realize that the land hosting Ado-Ekiti belongs historically to the stool of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti?
“Considering that many Yoruba Muslims are married to Yoruba Christians under a combination of customary, Islamic, and statutory laws, what legal framework would this panel use to resolve disputes?” the group queried.
‘It lauded the monarch and the state government for taking a bold step to uphold the nation’s secularity.
“This decision demonstrates a commitment to preserving secularism while fostering unity in Ekiti State.
“It is a vital step toward ensuring religious harmony, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence among its diverse population,” the statement read.
Chairman of the Osun State Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Prof. Isaiah Adelowokan, stated that Christians living in the South-West region will negate the inauguration of a Shari’a panel in the region.
Adelowokan said, “I know no Christian who will ever say shari’a court should come to South-West. We are not in support of it.”
We Do Not Need Sharia In Southwest − Afenifere, CAN, Others.
Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Osun State, Mr. Kolapo Alimi, revealed that Osun State government is yet to receive any formal request for the inauguration of a Shari’a court in the state.
“We have not received any request for Shari’a court in Osun. When we get to the bridge, we will know how to cross it.
“If we get the request, the government will consider the pros and cons and take appropriate action that will not jeopardize the peace of the state.
‘’This is a democracy. If they table it, the government will look at it and take appropriate action,” Alimi said.
According to Emeritus Professor of Islamic Studies and Chief Imam of Egba Gbagura, Abeokuta, Professor Kamaldeen Balogun, attested that there is no established Shari’a court in Ogun State and any part of the South-West.
Balogun noted that the only thing common among the Muslims in the Southwest is a committee established to decide personal affairs emanating from marriages, family issues, divorce, several others.
The Islamic scholar said: “We don’t have constituted shari’a court in any part of the South- West as we have say in Kwara and others.
“What we have are committees or panels set up among the Muslims to address personal issues according to the dictate of our religion but I don’t know why people are now talking about having Shari’a court, there is nothing like that.”
We Do Not Need Sharia In Southwest − Afenifere, CAN, Others.
