Shariah in Nigeriais non-negotiable – MURIC warns US govt

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has said Shariah is an integral part of Muslim life in Nigeria and will not be abandoned due to pressure from the United States or any Christian influencer.

Professor Ishaq Akintola, MURIC’s executive director, said calls urging the US to pressure President Bola Tinubu to outlaw Shari’ah and the Hisbah cross a “red line” and cast doubt on the true intentions of Washington in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.

Akintola described Dr. Ebenezer Obadare’s call for such US intervention as “mischievous, reactionary and outlandish” and warned that any attempt to abolish Shari’ah would be viewed as an attack on Islam itself.

He further 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.”

He added, “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.”