Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja

The Muslim Rights Concern has vowed to “go tough” if the Federal Government fails to recognise the Islamic calendar, stating that it would employ civil actions to press home its demands.

It lambasted the Federal Government for recognising January 1 as New Year Day while allegedly ignoring the Islamic calendar.

MURIC also ordered all Muslims to observe a sit-at-home on 1st Muharram 1441 as the beginning of their actions to ensure that the Federal Government recognises the Islamic calendar and declare the first day of the calendar as a public holiday

MURIC Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, in a statement obtained by The PUNCH, said several petitions had been written for the Islamic calendar to be recognised, yet it had been consistently turned down.

He said, “Nigerian Muslims feel marginalised. The reality of the Nigerian situation has subjected Muslims in the country to religious segregation.

“January 1, 2019 was declared by Federal Government in recognition of the Christo-Western Gregorian calendar. This happens every year.

“In essence, the government recognises the Christian calendar but spurns the Islamic calendar despite several petitions and appeals to it dating back to the 1960s demanding recognition for 1st Muharram as the first day of the Islamic calendar.

“In particular, MURIC has consistently made this demand at least for the past 10 years. This is religious apartheid.

“A society which desires peace must embrace justice and fairness. Justice is the soul of peace. Nobody can deny one and enjoy the other.

“It is this socio-economic imbalance that has been responsible for the absence of genuine and enduring peace in Nigeria.”

The Muslim activist said the Nigerian government had subjected Muslims in the country to religious segregation.

He said Muslims had suffered under colonial rule, as every policy of the colonial master was designed to eliminate all vestiges of Islam.

Akintola said it was more worrisome that Nigerian presidents, many of whom were Muslim, have failed to protect the rights of Muslims.

He added, “From Abubakar Tafawa Balewa to Murtala Muhammed, from Ibrahim Babangida to Sani Abacha, Musa Yar’Adua and now Muhammadu Buhari, no Muslim head of state had the political will to bell the cat.

“Though we are not unaware of the strategy of agents of neo-colonialism whose stock in trade is to blackmail Muslim heads of state with the ‘Islamisation’ agenda in order to put them permanently on the defence, we expect that every Nigerian leader must possess the courage to enthrone justice and equity.”

He commended state governments that had recognised the Islamic calendar and declared 1st Muharram as holiday, urging the Federal Government to follow suit.

The statement continued: “To start with, we are instructing our members throughout the federation to sit at home on 1st Muharram 1441 which corresponds to August 31, 2019.

“However, Muslims will observe the sit-at-home on Friday, August 30, 2019 to give more effect to their demand for parity and civil liberty.”

Cc myndd44
Cc lalasticlala
Cc Seun

https://punchng.com/well-go-tough-unless-fg-recognises-islamic-calendar-instead-of-jan-1-muric/

This stupid terrorist has said worse things more than Dino Melaye and Deji Adeyanju yet Buhari will not call him to order because he is a Muslim

Some people wants to turn this country up side down

No be only to go tough, Oya make una Carry guns nah. It is in your religion to be violent.

Nigerian army uniform has Islamic writings on it same as our currency.

NTA that is a national television beats Hausa/fulani drums before 6am news.


Many Islamic nonsense in a secular country, yet, Christians has never deemed it fit to threaten the country, but here we are, these terrorist won't allow us here word.

go ballistics

But he spoke in English. Soon he'll ask for Arabic as a lingua franca. You know why he can do this? The people in the south have allowed his likes to flourish on southern tax and resources. And the Southwest are feigning ignorance because among them are headslammers too. I know southerners are not cowards. I know Christians are "cooling down" for Jesus but one day we'd remember that Christ only asked us to turn the other cheek when we are slapped. He didn't say what Christians should do when the cheek we turn is also slapped. That day would be a deluge of maroon liquid and installation of sanity to the uncircumcised philistines. Shalom

Muric is Terrorizing Nigeria silently! It's been taken as a Joke!
It seems some invisible hands in Power are pushing and sponsoring him for the purpose they intend to Achieve!

Nigeria is being Contested physically and spiritually....

The Islamization stuff is not a Joke...

I use this Medium to tell the President and the men and women both local and international pushing for this... ITS A FUTILE EFFORT.... it will not Stand!!

All of you involved will be Wasted one by one and Nigeria will be For THE TRUE GOD OF HEAVEN and EARTH

it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than to find a peaceful Muslim man in Nigeria...the only religion that encourages killing with no use for the blood....total waste

Lols

How will this request by MURIC improve the Nigerian economy?

Misplaced priorities.....

Yet, they wont want Biafra to form their own country...what kind of people are these?