MURIC Warns US Against Interference in Nigeria’s Shari’ah System
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has cautioned the United States government against alleged attempts to influence Nigeria’s internal legal and religious frameworks, particularly the practice of Shari’ah law and the operations of Hisbah in some northern states.
The warning followed reported remarks by Dr. Ebenezer Obadare, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, who allegedly urged Washington to pressure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to outlaw Shari’ah and Hisbah institutions in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Friday, MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, described the call as “crossing the red line,” insisting that any attempt to interfere with Shari’ah would be met with strong resistance from Nigerian Muslims and could undermine ongoing efforts to combat terrorism.
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“Obadare’s call is mischievous, reactionary and outlandish. It is undemocratic, neo-colonial and imperialistic,” Akintola said. “Shari’ah is the Muslim way of life and cannot be separated from Islam. 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.”
Obadare reportedly made the comments during a joint House briefing reacting to the US government’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” on religious freedom. MURIC questioned Washington’s motives, suggesting that the US might be targeting Islamic institutions under the guise of combating terrorism.
The organisation stressed that Shari’ah and Hisbah are constitutionally recognised structures that reflect the democratic choices of Nigerian citizens in states that adopted them. Any move to abolish them, MURIC said, would amount to an assault on Nigeria’s sovereignty and religious freedom.
By PRNigeria
