Shari’ah, Muslims’ way of life, won’t be abandoned, MURIC tells US

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an Islamic rights organisation, said Shari’ah is Muslims’ way of life and won’t be abandoned due to pressure by the United States of America or any Christian influencer.

A statement by MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said those advising the US government to pressurise the federal government to stop Shariah in parts of the country are crossing the red line, and their calls raise more questions than answers about the United States’ intentions.

Dr. Ebenezer Obadare, a Senior Fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S think tank, had urged the United States to pressurise President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to outlaw Shari’ah and the Hisbah.

The call was made during a joint congressional briefing in response to US President Donald Trump’s directive and designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.

But Prof. Akintola, in the statement, said: “Shari’ah is the Muslims’ way of life. It cannot be separated from Islam. We fought hard to establish it, and its foundation is deeply entrenched in legality, constitutionality and democratic values. The moment anyone attempts to touch our Shari’ah, we begin to see him seeking to eliminate Islam in its totality. Our advice is this: don’t go there. It is the red line.

“This call raises more questions than answers and casts doubt on the intention of the United States in its interest in Nigeria’s war on terror. It amounts to surrendering Nigeria’s sovereignty. It constitutes an affront to the Nigerian constitution. It is therefore a no-go area for either the US or the Nigerian government.” ‎‎

Akintola said Obadare’s call is mischievous, reactionary and outlandish as well as undemocratic, neocolonial and imperialistic.

“As usual, Nigerian Christians who opposed the Shari’ah ab initio and were defeated in due process have now gone through the back door to use the US to abolish it. It will not happen. Obadare’s approach is not only cowardly, but it is immoral and despicable.

‎‎”The United States, in particular, must not allow doubts to be cast in its interest in Nigeria’s war on terror. Is the US fighting terror or fighting Islam? This is a critical question for a Western power that has declared its intention to protect Nigerian Christians.” ‎‎

“Nigerian Muslims will continue to support President Tinubu in his war on terrorist groups as long as there are clear lines of demarcation. But Nigerian Muslims are not fools. The story will definitely change if any government, local or foreign, makes any attempt to outlaw our hard-earned Shari’ah,” he added.

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