Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. - Islam for Muslims - Nairaland
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Religion / Islam for Muslims / Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. (5342 Views)
An Atheist's Letter To Nigerian Muslims (El Rufai's Tweet Didnt Result In Riots) / Do Nigerian Muslims Really Believe That They Are Descendants Of Adam? / GEJ's Ramadan Message To Nigerian Muslims (2) (3) (4)
(1) (2) (3) (4) (Reply) (Go Down)
| Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by Remii(m): 11:13pm On Jan 02, 2012 |
DR ISHAQ AKINTOLA'S RESPONSE TO MUHAMMAD ALIYU Salaam My Brother I fully identify with your position on the issues raised in your contribution to the forum on CAN president's provocative demands from JNI and NSCIA. I want to react to your request that Islamic organizations should follow suit in condemning the CAN leader's vituperation. The fact is that some of us down South have done so but the Southern press have muzzled our protestations. It has always been like that here. Press statements issued by Islamic organizations are often ignored. Their press conferences do not see the light of day. Muslim journalists in The Nation, The Punch, The Guardian, The Nigerian Tribune, Daily Independent, etc face hell in the hands of the editors of these papers when they (the Muslim journalists) attempt to slot in press statements forwarded by Islamic organizations. In fact there is an unofficial policy among Southern newspapers that statements of Muslims must be restricted to Fridays only. Islamic columns are also tolerated only on Fridays whereas each of these papers publish more than one Christian column everyday. In short these papers have never hidden their agenda to promote Christianity. What they have not made public is their editorial policy which is geared towards the repression of Islam. I hope my position will not be misunderstood by fellow Southerners who have noticed that Southern papers sometimes give the Sultan publicity. The fact is that they do so when the Sultan speaks of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Past Sultans had been ostracized by the press. If they held press conferences no Southern paper carried them whereas the same papers catch pneumonia if Archbishop Okogie coughs. Just look at the records. Okogie has been threatening war since the early eighties. He had always spoken in a carefree manner while the press virtually worshiped him. The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has also enjoyed some measure of publicity in Southern papers in the past eighteen years (since 1994). In retrospect, I attribute this to the multidimensional approach of the organization to public issues. They publish our statements when we comment on political and socio-economic issues. But we are rebuffed by the Southern press each time we stand up to defend the rights of Muslims on any particular issue. Here I must commend the efforts of Waheed Adebayo and Sekinat Lawal of the Nigerian Tribune and National Mirror respectively for publishing MURIC statements on their Friday pages. Those statements were usually issued over the weekend or very early in the week but the Southern press would ignore them. Relief usually come for us on Fridays. Make no mistake about this: MURIC statements are not sent to those two papers alone. They are always sent to all Nigerian papers and this we have been doing for the past 18 years. For every single statement of MURIC the public reads, we must have issued about four. We could have stopped issuing press statements out of frustration but Allah continues to strengthen us. In contrast, Daily Trust and some Abuja-based newspapers (e.g. Leadership) publish our press releases regularly. But there is a hitch in this. We hardly get copies to buy. There is a cabal in the journalism profession that ensures that northern papers are not accessible to the man in the street in the South. Thus it is hard to find a copy of Daily Trust on the newsstands in Volkswagen, Egbeda or inside the campuses. It is also on record that Southern Muslims have made efforts at establishing Islam-friendly newspapers in the past even without labeling them as Islamic papers (e.g The Convent, The Hammer, both in Lagos) but the cabal always sees to it that those papers die prematurely. Ridiculous though it may appear, vendors in the South are coerced into rejecting Islam-friendly papers and it becomes impossible to get acceptance once vendors refuse to sell a particular paper. The pioneers of those papers were often forced to distribute the papers to mosques and Islamic NGOs for sale. What of the radio and television stations? You need to see what has been happening since the Xmas day bombing. All these stations were involved in the whipping up of anti-Muslim sentiments. TV and radio presenters were openly inciting the public against Muslims. Guests invited to programmes were deliberately selected to include only those who were willing to incite the public against Muslims. Islamic scholars were not invited to the interviews to balance opinions. The Muslims of the South were denied right of response. It was a sheer violation of the Allah-given and fundamental rights of Muslims in the South. I think the FGN realized what was happening after a few days because since December 31st the radio and tv stations have softened down. The presenters now talk of the need to calm nerves and douse tensions. So you can see, brother Muhammad Aliyu, there is more to your request than meets the eye. It is one thing to issue a statement, it is another thing to get it published on the pages of newspapers. Is-haq Akintola (Ph.D), Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, Lagos State University, P.O. Box 10211, LASU Post Office, HO 102 101, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria. Tel. 234-803-346-4974 I remain oppressed untill the hungry are fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed and the homeless sheltered 1 Like |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by tpia5: 3:01am On Jan 03, 2012 |
come, come, come, gani fawehinmi was muslim. what is all this?  |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by tpia5: 3:04am On Jan 03, 2012 |
Chief Abdul-Ganiyu "Gani" Oyesola Fawehinmi, (22 April 1938 - 5 September 2009) was a Nigerian author, publisher, philanthropist, social critic, human and civil rights lawyer, politician and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gani_Fawehinmi |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by tpia5: 3:05am On Jan 03, 2012 |
its a new year abeg. e ma so mi lenu oh. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by olawalebabs(m): 6:30am On Jan 03, 2012 |
Tpia, what you post is out of contex with the intent of the op. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by tpia5: 11:50am On Jan 03, 2012 |
In what way? |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by deols(f): 5:23pm On Jan 03, 2012 |
kudos to Dr Akintola. I have read some of his posts not only on Nigeria issues but on global ones too. may Allah continue to guide him aright. tpia@: yh! Gani Fawehinmi was a Muslim but was he speaking from Islamic perspectives. You should cool down sometimes madam. this isnt a war zone  |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by deols(f): 5:56pm On Jan 03, 2012 |
Muslims are truly marginalised in the south and Until we take our future into our own hands, things like this will continue to happen. Imagine that we have muslims owning newspaper corporations or as editors?? the story would surely be different. Let muslims do better economically. that is what it takes actually. a yoruba proverb says,omo ti owo e o ba ti kan eku ida. . . |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by olawalebabs(m): 6:44pm On Jan 03, 2012 |
We need to wake up and take our destiny into our hand, the jihad of 21st century is more than sword, gun and bomb. We need to empower ourselve through proper education and sensitization. We need hospitals, media houses (print and electronic), universities. May Allah help us and make it easy for us. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by tpia5: 11:20pm On Jan 03, 2012 |
^^you both also ignore the contributions of mko abiola towards furthering Islam in the southwest? and just for the record, did he not have all these things you listed? concord newspaper comes to mind. as for schools- there are muslim schools and universities everywhere in the southwest. Deols herself said she never saw a christian maybe till she was grown, due to her attending an exclusively muslim school where there were no christians at all. Is Fountain University not a muslim university? And i'm sure that's not the only one because we're not even considering kwara when talking about muslim schools. for hospitals, you mean to tell me there's no muslim owned hospital in the south.  once again, lets leave out kwara since its not south. I guess you'll claim there are no muslim doctors or healthcare workers of southern extraction. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by olawalebabs(m): 6:12am On Jan 04, 2012 |
Thanks for your contribution. Those things i listed are not enough to go round. In universities, the only one you know is Fountain, their is Crescent in Abk and Al Hikmah. As per the hospital, am not talking about the personnel but the institution as a whole. When last did you read concord (is no longer functioning). Am not downgrading the contribution of MKO and others like him, but we need more of them. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by deols(f): 9:02am On Jan 04, 2012 |
Tpia@, u seem to not get d point of this discussion. A man probably claims southern Muslims dont respond to national issues. The writer, Dr. Akintola responds disproving that. So, in essence, he is saying Muslims do respond. I do too, @least on my FB wall and sometimes on NL.But not without some constraints, to which he mentions d bias of d media houses. Now, to ur point on Abiola. he is long gone.and u seem to be mixing politics wv d issue. there are many Yoruba politians who do speak on national issues and the Muslims av produced more governors in the southwest than christians have. But that hasnt change the fact that we are still under represented in other places that matter. we are working towards changing that and it will happen IA. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by tpia5: 8:11pm On Jan 04, 2012 |
^Playing the victim is what you seem to be doing. I mentioned fawehinmi and abiola because even though they're late, they have instant name recognition and neither does that mean the thread and thread title arent deceptive and an attempt at miscommunication. As you pointed out, most yoruba govenors are muslim- how that now translates to southern muslims not commenting on or being involved in national issues, beats me. By all means get representation in any area where youfeel you are under represented. However, if your dream is to introduce sharia law across southern nigeria and raise more muslims who will say they never saw a christian till they weere grown, then i'm afraid God can never be with you on that one. Let me know when you feel you've achieved your goal because i want to know which spheres exactly you're claiming to have no representation in. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by Remii(m): 9:13pm On Jan 04, 2012 |
tpia, the message in the write up is not about Muslims not able to practice their religion in the south. it is about media bias and frustrations towards Islam. This specific response was to correct a perceived silence of southern Muslims on the evil of Boko Haram among others. Please read that write up within context and contribute in that light also. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by olawalebabs(m): 9:16pm On Jan 04, 2012 |
Tpia, i want to believe you understand the intent and contex of what we are saying, you're just trying to play smart one. Nobody has talk about the introduction of sharia. Get that |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by tpia5: 9:27pm On Jan 04, 2012 |
^Neither of you is being truthful here the only person who is making no secret of her hopes and dreams is deols. Can one of you point out any refernce to boko haram in the original post besides the little paragraph which mentioned the christmas bombings in passing. Your thread title is also quite mischievious. I did not feel like analyzing the write up point for point because if i do so na another thing. Lets just agree its a deliberate attempt to incite mischief and leave it at that. Olawalebabs who is fluctuating between various positions is the one claiming there are no muslim owned amenities in the southwest. After that was when deols jumped on the bandwagon (when i corrected that statement) to claim the ones on ground arent enough and there should be more. No one has a problem with the free market but i think everyone will have a problem with misrepresentation of facts. If indeed you're looking to make an impact on the south, then why not start with finding a solution to the power supply problem. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by tpia5: 9:29pm On Jan 04, 2012 |
And bad roads. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by tpia5: 9:36pm On Jan 04, 2012 |
As per the media issuing anti-muslim statements after the bombings- well i dont know anything about that. I'm not in nigeria but i follow the nigerian news and i cant say i noticed any blanket anti-íslamic statements per se. There was reporting on the activities and ideology of boko haram who we all know say they are fighting for Islam, but i do not remember seeing anti-muslim write-ups per se. There may have been anti muslim comments on various blogs and forums, but to say the media officially did the same, shouldnt be proferred without proof. Anyone with links on this matter, should kindly post it here so i can see if i missed something. The sapele bombings seem more like a case of in-fighting than anything else. Or an attempt to incite civil strife. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by olawalebabs(m): 9:37pm On Jan 04, 2012 |
Can you explain what you mean by fluctuating between different position? |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by olawalebabs(m): 9:39pm On Jan 04, 2012 |
Also, how is sapele a case of in fighting. Height of deceit |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by BetaThings: 9:40pm On Jan 04, 2012 |
Remii: I don't argue with these people because they choose to ignore reality Abiola, Dangote, Fawehinmi never projected themselves as muslims. Abiola was called Pillar of Sports in Africa. Dangote - Africa's richest man and Fawehinmi as Lagos lawyer Otedola, Adenuga are christians but nobody see them as reprensting the views of Christians. If I want to hear the views of religious leaders, I listen to Pastor Oritsejafor, Cardinal Okogie, Alhaji Lateef Adegbite Do I expect governors to be expressing views of their religion? Will Jonathan speak the mind of Christians Pastor Oritsejafor (CAN President) never spares any opportunity to allege that there are moves to at Ismalise Nigeria. My question then is that why ALL ministers from SW are christians? Is that the reason why Mr Tunde Lemo (DG CBN) proudly calls himself a Pastor without anyone raising eyebrows but Sanusi lamido is never allowed to breathe for being a Mallam |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by Remii(m): 11:08pm On Jan 04, 2012 |
tpia@: madam, once again, the message is not about media writing against Islam, it is about Islamic views not giving access thereby creating a perception that Muslims in the south are silent about negative happenings in the country which further confused as their consent. I suggest you respond to the write up directly instead of insinuating what you think. On anti Muslim comments, did you notice that any violent group with slightest affiliation to Muslims are identified as Islamic militant or terrorist groups, while other are called "unknown assailants" as if they have no religion? However, this is not peculiar to Nigeria, it is like that all over the world. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by tpia5: 4:13am On Jan 05, 2012 |
^Dont you think that has something to do with the fact that the groups in question say they're muslims who are fighting on behalf of Islam? |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by tpia5: 4:17am On Jan 05, 2012 |
@ betathings if abiola did not project himself as a muslim, what then did he project himself as? You are just fabricating stuff out of thin air. I suppose you forgot he won the nigerian election soundly in the north. Did he campaign as a christian or buddhist? |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by tpia5: 4:20am On Jan 05, 2012 |
As per fawehinmi- his father was the seriki muslumi. I dont know how much more muslim you can get than that. Unless you want him to turn arab. Dont know much about dangote but it seems your imagination is running away with you. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by Nobody: 4:54am On Jan 05, 2012 |
deols: you produce most of the southwest governors and yet you grumble about being "under-represented" in other places that matter? how? Who is holding you back? This article is puerile and makes a mockery of our educational system that a so-called university lecturer can be credited with such asinine and dishonest comments. Deols quite frankly frightens me, this woman would think nothing of killing christians to bring about her muslim utopia in the southwest. God help us. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by maclatunji: 7:19am On Jan 05, 2012 |
Very interesting thread, Dr. Akintola is saying the truth. I think it is fair to say that Muslims in the Southwest have managed to control the larger part of politics whilst Christians control the corporate world. Now, most politicians would not want to be the torch-bearer for their religion whether Islam/Christianity because of the nature of our country. However, such inhibitions do not really exist where Christians hold sway (Corporate world). I can tell you that I have not been offered jobs because interviewers who are Christians could not stand the fact that a Muslim could display the levels of intelligence and articulation I have been blessed with. Now, you might say: don't all interviewees who fail to get jobs say that. Let me give you scenarios. What would you say about a situation where one of your interviewers says- 'at his age he has achieved so much already' or when one of your interviewers is virtually giving you an ovation or attending an interview where the interviewers (all ladies) just mocked you all the way- only for The Governor of Lagos State to invite you for a function based on your performance in the very same recruitment process. To make matters worse, one of the ladies mocking you at the interview calls you a year later to offer you a job she knows she ought to have done 12 months earlier. In all of these scenarios, I never got invited to negotiate terms because the Christians there would not want a Muslim that can beat them in anything they think they are the only ones good at. Let us face it, the Southern Christian Corporate elite cannot stand the Muslim Intelligensia and will only tolerate you when it suits them. Let Dr. Akintola call a press conference and read-out a statement in Arabic whilst seating on a carpet. I assure you all of those southern newspaper houses will give him FULL COVERAGE! |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by deols(f): 10:27am On Jan 05, 2012 |
@tpia, u sure are good at twisting things. when I mentioned my first contact with christians, I made it clear to you it was in my Muslim school and the point I was trying to make is the tolerance Muslims have for christians and that despite being a Muslim school, they were never forced to pray solaat with us. I further went on to explain to u dat it ddnt mean that I never saw xtians but they were the first who brought our differences to my consciousness. If that to u means I want a shariah state where d few christians I know wouldnt av a chance 4 survival, So, be it. Believe whatever u may, ur cross to bear. davidylan: I av always known I do frighten you. I can always feel how much I intimidate u. But, know you that I do not support any form of violence against any1. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by LagosShia: 10:58am On Jan 05, 2012 |
in all honesty,i believe it is time the southern muslims start standing up firm and airing their views with confidence and courage to change matters for the better. the western media in particular has consistently promoted the idea of a "muslim north" and a "christian-animist south".that is heartaching when you as a southern muslim particularly muslims from the south-west number in the millions.the north could be described as a "muslim north".but can the southern part of nigeria which isn't homogenous ethnically and linguistically be described as a "christian south"? that is utter rubbish. i also blame the muslim in the south particularly the south-west for shying away from their muslim identity.often that is cause by limited or little knowledge of islam.muslims in the south are often caught by suprise when even debating or conversing with christians.they are easily silenced or swayed into inaction.they lack the knowledge.i urge my muslim brothers in the south to learn about islam,islamic history and comparative islam-christianity studies.no doubt,when that is done the southern muslim will see the truth for what islam is and and flog the big-mouth christian who fakes confusion for courage. i am not saying we should have some sort of rivalry and tension.that is not what i am calling for.i am only calling for southern muslims to be themselves and rise up to the occassion when need be. you dont complain that vanguard or whatever newspaper is not reporting your press releases or that they are frustrating your newspapers at the vendor's.you as a southern muslim must make things work.we can have a newspaper that publishes every friday.then we can be having its publication twice a week.then every day.it is gradual.but we need to stand up.when a muslim papaer starts competing with vanguard then you will see everyone wants to buy your paper.you dont have to give it an arabic name.it can be like any regular paper but one that takes the interest of southern muslims at heart.likewise with radio and tv stations.if you dont help yourself and allow the rest to move ahead of you.you'd end up blaming yourself. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by deols(f): 11:23am On Jan 05, 2012 |
I so much agree with you, LagosShia. The christian south thing is particularly annoying and that is just a way of achieving some western agenda. I could remember Wole Soyinka making it clear during an interview with Christian Amanpour, on CNN that the situation wasnt a Muslim vs Christian one. as that was exactly what the media(CNN) wanted to sell to the world. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by tpia5: 11:46am On Jan 05, 2012 |
Maclatunji as with deols, i dont know what kind of environment you're in where you say you didnt get a job because you were muslim. Tht is a very unfamiliar scenario to me given the nature of the suthwest. And saying somebody was surprised by the fact that a muslim could display intelligence, sounds more like something you imagined, than real life. That simply does not ring true for yorubaland. The only way you could have been singled out is if you appeared for the job interview sporting a caftan or looking like al queada instead of being dressed professionally. At least you say you're not female so we cant assume you went there in full body kaftan ie covered from head to toe with no single part of yuor body showing. What exactly is unusual about someone showing a grasp of issues and when did it become an exclusive preserve of christians to do so. I'm seriously starting to beleive some of you here arent yoruba because your words are very strange to me. |
| Re: Why You Don't Hear Southern Nigerian Muslims Responses On National Issues. by olawalebabs(m): 11:49am On Jan 05, 2012 |
Tpia, You have not answer me. |
Sanctity Of Masjid & Essence Of Human Existence. / If The Night Of Friday Coincides With An Odd Numbered Night, Is That Laylat Qodr / Tips On Preparing For Ramadan
(Go Up)
| Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 100 |