IBNET

    The Nigerian embassy in Washington DC on October 28, 2013 denied a Muslim sister in hijab who had gone for a biometrics appointment necessary to replace passport any service on the basis that she had to expose her ears. Even when the victim informed the attendant that she was wearing the hijab for religious purpose and as such could not expose her ears, an immigration attaché at the embassy intervened and insisted that the victim had to “because it is the law of Nigeria that ears must show”. Also on March 4th, a Muslim brother went to the passport office in Ikoyi, Lagos to process his application for international passport. The brother was denied access to any service and was told that there was “a new directive that they should not snap people with beards due to the current security challenges in the country”. The brother was firmly told that unless he trimmed his beard he would not get his passport photograph taken.  These are not isolated cases, rather thousands of...

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) yesterday moved against the hijab bill which has scaled through the second reading in the House of Representatives. The bill is titled ‘Religious Discrimination (Prohibition, Prevention) Bill 2021’. CAN’s opposition to the bill came through a statement issued yesterday by its secretary, Joseph Daramola, who argued that legislating the wearing of hijab in schools would lead to the trouble that the sponsors of the bill may not be able to handle. Daramola claimed that the bill is ill-timed and uncalled for.  But the Nigerian Islamic human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has described CAN’s opposition to the freedom bill as conservative and reactionary. MURIC urged lawmakers to go ahead with the bill as it is not designed for hijab rights alone. The Muslim rights advocacy argued that the bill also aims at liberating Nigerian workers and women from discrimination.  MURIC reacted to CAN’s statement through its ...

      Violence erupted yesterday at the Baptist Secondary School, Surulere, Ilorin, Kwara State over the refusal of the school authorities to allow female Muslim students to use hijab. Parents of the students engaged the school authorities in a hot argument which resulted into a stone-throwing contest between Christians and Muslims. Meanwhile the Nigerian Islamic human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on stakeholders to call the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to order.     MURIC’s statement position was revealed in a statement issued by the director of the human rights group, Professor Ishaq Akintola.     “We are perturbed that people who claim to be civilised are disrespecting the rule of law. CAN is to blame for all these. CAN was the one that called on its members to occupy that school. Fortunately the ugly scene only played out in one out of ten schools. But it is a big shame that in 21st c...

          The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has suggested that cow owners in the country should be registered in order to hold them accountable. The group argued that cow owners should register their businesses in the same way other businesses are registered. It further suggested that cow owners should approach banks and other financial institutions for loans to build ranches.     MURIC’s suggestions came in the wake of the discovery that the owner of the cows that strayed into Professor Wole Soyinka’s compound is a Southerner and a Yoruba man. This was revealed in a press statement circulated to the media on Thursday, 11 th  February, 2021 by the director of the human rights organization, Professor Ishaq Akintola.     According to the statement, “We strongly condemn the incident in which a cow strayed into Professor Wole Soyinka’s compound at Kemta Estate, Abeokuta, on Tuesday, 9 th  February, 2021. It is a dese...

            The government of Kano State has banned a controversial Islamic scholar, Shaykh Abdul Jabbar Kabara over his erratic and provocative sermons. His mosque in Gwale area in the heart of the city of Kano was also shut. The government of Kano State also reportedly promised to arrange a debate between the Shaykh and other Islamic scholars.     “Meanwhile the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has hailed the government of Kano State for taking the action. MURIC, an Islamic human rights organization, commended the Kano State government in a statement issued by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Monday, 8 th  February, 2021.     MURIC said:   “There have been complaints of erratic preaching against Shaykh Kabara for quite some time. Coming from the Tijaniyyah Sufi order, Sunni Muslims have lodged lots of complaints against him in the past. They even accused him of abusing the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and...

              The Federal Government (FG) has been tasked to do more than it is doing presently to address the burning issue of insecurity in the country. The advice came from the Nigerian Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). The group wants FG to give the cattle rearing industry enough funds to buy land for the establishment of ranches. FG can ban open grazing after the bailout fund has been released.     The suggestion was contained in a press statement circulated among the media on Wednesday, 3 rd February, 2021 by the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.     The statement reads:   “The crisis between herders and farmers has generated severe tension over the years and it has resulted in open clashes with loss of lives and properties in recent times. In our own view, the Federal Government still has some options open to it after the state governments in the South re...

              The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has received a pat in the back from the Nigerian Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). The human rights organization commended the minister for his recent innovations which are aimed at making life easier for Nigerians.   MURIC issued the commendation in a message distributed to the media on Friday, 29 th  January, 2021. The message was signed by the group’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.     According to MURIC, “We are greatly impressed by the performance of the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami. He has proved himself as an uncommon federal minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His ministry is always on one activity or another and most of such programmes and projects are designed to take Nigeria to the next level in a highly competitiv...