During the constituent assembly that gave birth to 1979 Constitution, the Sharia questions threatened the very existence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the then Federal Military Government disbanded them deliberately in a face saving way and also for the co-existence of Nigeria. However the issue was kept half solved and those that proposed it never slept. The danger in championing this course or being a fanatic is that once a religious fanatic one remains a religious fanatic until he has done his havoc upon the larger society. Fanatics never change.
However, here we are again visiting the Sharia question in a more cruel form, with hundred of human lives being sacrificed daily on Sharia question. The comments of some of our prominent members at the constituent assembly can not be forgotten, and one will ask if they are close to this crisis this time around. Some said that during any election time that Sharia question will be revisited, l believed this Sharia question would have been solved through jaw-jaw and not war –war. Some even promised to fight the case of Sharia with their last blood. Let us visit some of their documented comments during the constituent assembly;
NO COMPROMISE ON SHARIA.
SOME CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY MEMBERS WERE ADAMANT TO THEIR “TAKE –IT-ALL” POSITION ON THE SHARIA QUESTION
- “……………. Any Nigerian citizen, be he Christian, Muslim, or whatever his religion is, is entitled to appeal to the highest court and is what has been denied the Muslims and that is what they have been asking for……”
- “……………. Let them also bring appeals on Canon Law or create a Division of Customary Court of Appeal. We do not care. Let us too have a Division of Islamic Law……” This is all we want ….
By ALHAJI SHEHU SHAGARI (THEN NPN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE) Proceeding of the Constituent Assembly, 6th April 1978 p. 12
PUBLIC OPINION MEANS NOTHING TO K.O. SHARIA WILL BE BROUGHT BACK AFTER ELECTION.
“……… A friend of mine in the course of the debate, said that the Sharia as now provided is the irreducible minimum which they can settle for. Well, sentiments of that nature aggravate the soul and excite emotion because when one irreducible minimum confronts another extreme irreducible minimum on another side, the net result is cataclysm and catastrophe………………………………….”
“………….. This does not mean, Mr. Chairman, that we should sweep the Sharia question under the carpet. If provision is made for Sharia under the Federal Court of Appeal, then, by sheer logic of progression, another provision must be made for it in the Supreme Court of the country in due course…………..”
“………….. What we may not accept now may be accepted in due course. I am 60 years old, Mr. Chairman, l do not listen to what people say……”
By DR. K. O.MBADIWE (THEN NPN LEADER AND SENATORIAL CANDIDATE (FOR ORLU) Proceedings of the Constituent Assembly, 16th November, 1977 p. 12-13
SHARIA TO ME IS MORE THAN NIGERIA AND THE CONSTITUTION.
“…….. Mr. Chairman, there has been a lot of talk about the Provision for Sharia in the Draft Constitution. It is a pity that many of us who have spoken have not taken the trouble to read or even to know what is existing now in the country. This country has a population and l beg to say, Muslims are in the majority. Now it is this Sharia which governs the life of a Muslim. Sharia is not the question of going to the Court because this is what comes to mind. SHARIA TO ME IS EVERYTHING.”
By ALHAJI IBRAHIM DASUKI (THEN TOP NPN LEADER)
Proceedings of the Constituent Assembly) Tuesday, 1st November 1977 p.74
IN SHARIA NO APPEAL!
“……….. Appeal is only something that comes from man-made Law”. Islamic Law is God-made Law….”
“……….. There is no appeal……..”
By ALHAJI NUHU BAMALI (THEN TOP NPN LEADER) Proceeding of Constituent Assembly Tuesday, 1st November, 1977, p. 81
DISSOLUTION OF NIGERIA
“…………. As for those who advocate complete deletion of Sharia from our Constitution, l implore this honorable House not to take them seriously because they are not after a solution for our co-existence; but they are after the dissolution of this country and God forbid.”
By ALHAJI NUHU BAMALI(THEN TOP NPN LEADER) Proceeding of the Constituent Assembly 14 December, 1977, p. 39
WE MUST HAVE SHARIA.
“……………. In the country, we have a population of Muslims which ranges from 45 per cent to 65 per cent depending on whom you are talking with. But whatever the figure that you care to adopt, there is one point that nobody can dispute, and that is that of all the religious group in this country, the Muslim group is the largest as of today. So, the constitution of this country, if it is to be meaningful and relevant, has to take cognizance of the desires and wishes of these people on a matter that personally touches them……”
“……….. To them, this is a far more important question, in fact, than the tenure of the office of the president. We must have the Sharia.
By DR. IYA ABUBAKAR, (THEN NPN SPOKESMAN) Proceedings of the Constituent Assembly, 4th November, 1977, p.16
NIGERIA THREATENED WITH SITUATIONS IN LEBANON AND IRELAND.
“……….. Mr. Chairman, may l conclude by appealing to those who speak on this sensitive matter to do so with restraint and tolerance. Uncomproising statements and threats do not help those who are anxious to find a solution that would be acceptable to all concerned.
Those who threaten us with irreducible minimu and religion being more important to them than the unity of this country should know that some of us love our religion as dearly as they do, even though we do not make any noise about it. Again, those who threaten us with the situation inLebanonandIrelandshould remember thatNigeriadoes not belong to them alone”.
By CHIEF J. O. UDOJI (LATER CHANGED HIS POSITION TO SUPPORT NPN AND SHARIA) Proceedings of the Constituent Assembly, 29th November, 1977, p.9
ALHAJI KAM SALEM (THEN NPN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE FOR BORNO) LEADS A WALK OUT.
NO SHARIA NO CONSTITUTION.
Alhaji Kam Salem, accused the Chairman of the Constituent Assembly of taking the issue of Sharia as a very minor question.
The withdrawal speech reads:
- “We also disagree that matters affecting the family and succession can be said to be of no importance. In view of the fore-going, we wish to confirm to you that as from the deliberations of the Assembly on Section 180, Sub-section 1, paragraph (c) of the Draft Constitution Bill, we ceased to participate in the proceedings of the Assembly.
- “We further wish to confirm to you that we from the said moment we took and will continue to take no further part in all deliberations on Chapter VII-“the Jut nature.
- “We further wish to confirm that we have withdrawn from the Assembly until deliberations on the said Chapter are concluded by what remains of the Assembly. At that point we shall determine our next course of action.”
- We finally wish to notify you that we reserve the right to raise fundamental issue regarding any conclusions reached on any amendments to Chapter.
VII as from Section 180 (1) (c) at the appropriate time and in appropriate manner”. After this speech 88 (eighty eight) SHARIA ADVOCATE LED BY:
- Alhaji Shehu Shagari ……. ……then NPN Presidential Candidate
- Alhaji Adamu Ciroma …………….then NPN General Secretary
- Alhaji Ali Monguno ………………then NPN SenatorialCan.Borno
- Alhaji Nuhu Bamali ……………..then NPN Front Liner
- Prof. Iya Abubakar ………………then NPN Chief Spokesman
- Dr. Ibrahim Tahir ………………..then NPN Founder
- Dr. Abubakar S. Saraki …………then NPN Leader,KwaraState
- Alhaji Umaru Dikko ……………..then NPN Founder and Leader,
Etc…, etc. walked out.
ALHAJI KAM SALEM (THEN NPN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, BORNO STATE) Proceedings of the Constituent Assembly, 10th April, 1978, p. 4
We have to see what the HOLY QUR’AN says about the propagation of Islamic religion;
In Surah Al-Baqarah Chapter 2:195 “And spend in the Cause of Allah (i.e. Jihad of all Kinds) and do not throw yourselves into destruction (by not spending your wealth in the Cause of Allah), do good. Truly, Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (the good doers)”
In Surah An – Nisa 4:101 said “For the Unbelieved are unto you open enemies”
In Surah Muhammad Chapter 47: 4 “So when you meet (in fight- Jihad in Allah’ Cause) those who disbelieve, smite (their) neck till when you have killed and wounded many of them, then bind a bond firmly (on them, i.e. take them as captives) Thereafter (is the time) either for generosity (i.e. free from them without ransom), or ransom (according to what benefits Islam), until the war lays down its burden. Thus (you are ordered by Allah to continue in caring out Jihad against the disbelievers till they embrace Islam and are saved from the punishment in the Hell – fire or at least come under your protection), but if it had been Allah’s Will, He Himself could certainly have punished them (without you). But (He lets you fight) in order to test some of you with others. But those who are killed in the ways of Allah, He will never let their deeds be lost.”
After reading through these Surah’s from the Holy Qur’an and also knowing the true meaning of BOKO HARAM (that WESTERN EDUCATION IS EVIL), one would come to some form of conclusion that the senseless wars waged on Christians is a JIHAD in its form.
Many peaceful Muslims must have been swindled through Surah AL-Baqarah 2:195, therefore finding the source of funding of Boko Haram will be very difficult as the donors might not want any form of trace to them. The vanguard of January 24, 2012 with the title “We‘re on Northern govs’ payroll- Boko Haram.” It is very difficult to believe that every Northern Muslim (high and low) denies the fact of not knowing that Boko Haram exist, because some of their comments on the faces of our daily newspapers shows that they are an alibi, l laugh when l read these comments e.g.; do not allow external interference, negotiate with the sect Boko Haram, Boko Haram are not a terrorist group, withdraw soldiers from our streets. From these comments come some questions; will external intelligence unmask or reveal those behind Boko Haram? Who are these faceless Boko Haram sects? How are these Boko Haram members funded? Assume they fund themselves, through what means? Where do they leave – in the forest, desert or within the communities? If within the communities why is it difficult for the people (Muslims) to unmask them if they never approve of the JIHAD? To every Muslim Sharia is as important as life itself, but the way it is being forced on the Nation is what matters most and call for concern. Everybody is allowed in this country to have a choice of religion, how do we now force non-Muslims to become Muslims or to force non-Christian to become Christians?
Will it not be proper forNigeriato call for a Sovereign National Conference to determine if we can co-exist as one in this country calledNigeria? I strongly advocate for a National Sovereign Conference and that no arrested terrorist (Boko Haram) suspect should be granted bail by any court until the case is disposed off.
Back to the comments made by our Big Brothers from the North during the Constituent Assembly; could it be that their views and beliefs are now at work in a more crude form with an act of total terrorism? It might be believed that the unfinished business (SHARIA QUESTION) is back, this time on the whole entity calledNigeria. Can it also be believed that politians are behind Boko Haram, as was reported by the American – based Security Weekly magazine reproduced by Tribune of Friday, 03 February 2012 “While undoubtedly some connection between some northern politians and Boko Haram exist, it would be simplistic to suggest such policians completely control Boko Haram.”
Whither blows the windNigeria?
By Christian Akpelu.
Sabon Gari, Kaduna State,
Nigeria.
It is obvious that the dream of the average Muslim is the imposition of Shariah Rule in any community or society where they find themselves. The pride of religious superiority deludes the Muslims to believing that theirs is the only God-sent religion and that any other one is evil. Suffice it to say that Islam as a religion, is only a peaceful religion among fellow adherents of the Islamic faith but not with non-adherents. The religion that counts non-adherents as outright enemies is not qualified to be counted as God-sent, and God-approved religion. As far as l am concerned, any religion that converts people by use of force and not by voluntary conviction does not worth it. The religion lacks the platform of logical reasoning and a convicting and converting force to be able to win followers hence the application of brute force to coerce adherence. So the imposition of Sharia Rule in Nigeria would naturally bring about the break up of the country, because religion fanaticism does not end at the doorstep of the Muslims but it is a factor of every religious adherents – even those that practice traditional religion.
I am a first time user of this website. I feel rmetexely appalled at the level of hatred towards Islam. Nevertheless, I do not agree with a majority of views however, I can understand where this anger is being vented from.Firstly, I would like to comment on the fact that KGS wrote: so much “so that it deems all other prophets before Mohamed, as Muslims, rewrites Christian scripture and commands it followers to hate Jews and Christians” This already indicates your level of understanding the religion of Islam. Islam DOES NOT deem all prophets as “Muslim” because the term Muslim was ONLY referred to those who accepted the Muhammadic faith. As is commonly known, Muhammad was the last Prophet.Secondly, Islam does establish from a root word which means peace and submission. Peace does not need to be explained. Submission of one’s will to God. What does this mean? Those acts which have been ordained as compulsory one must carry them out, e.g. 5 daily prayers.TT: This is disinformation. From Koranic verses 2: 127-2:136 all the prophets mentioned were depicted as the first submissive believers (aka Muslims) The root word for Islam is “al-Silm,” which means “submission” or “surrender.” Muslims all take pride (wrongly) by co-opting all the prophets from the two great religions of Judaism and Chritianity.The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus 42:13 . Also, not only do they commandeer their prophets, they denounce their scriptures as having been corrupted because they differ with that of the Koran.But the transgressors changed the word from that which had been given them (2:59)You said:What I find rmetexely distasteful is the fact that because of a few an entire cast of people are being vindicated! I would find it utmost disrespectful if one member of my family had committed a crime and my whole family was made to suffer.Also, those who have studied the Qur’aan will know that every verse has a pre-text. Every verse that was revealed was according to the time and situation. No “jihad” “was ever an offensive jihad. In fact the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never encouraged offensive jihad, only defensive jihad took place.TT: What you mean is indicted , not vindicated which has the exact opposite meaning. Besides, no one is blaming every Muslim, but the scriptures they hold dear. Therein lies the problem. The Koran, as it is written is a disaster. The Koran contains open ended calls for violence against the unbeliever, if we need to drag them all out for everyone to see, I will. Are you sure you want to go there?Mohamed went on an offensive jihad when he raided caravans he deemed as having stolen goods from Muslims. There is no proof today (from Islamic texts) proving he was correct. Also, killing people and murdering them after the fighting stopped does not look good on your beloved leader, Mohamed. It was a revenge attack for not allowing them to pray, pure and simple.You said:Finally, I would encourage all of you to study the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad. Why? Simply because you will find that Islam teaches that one’s social conduct and etiquette is considered superior to even the rights of God. The way one interacts with others (Muslim and Non-Muslim) is held in the highest esteem. It is unforgivable that one inflicts any sort of harm or difficulty on a fellow human being. Muslims believe that God is All-Forgiving, however, God will not forgive a Muslim until his fellow Human has forgiven him for the harm he has caused. You will also find that women are not subjected to inhumane treatment. This merely boils down to cultural views, not Islam. Islam prevails culture! A verse from the Holy Qur’aan, chapter 3:“There is no compulsion in religion”TT: Now this is the lamest part of all. Islam is a totalitarian construct that forbids questioning of any kind, one must always submit, never question, to do so one risks beatings or death. Such etiquette makes me want to vomit. So no thanks. Muslims have traditionally treated teh non-muslim as an inferior, as a second class being, a dhimmi, whose protected status could be ripped away for any perceived slight or failure to pay the jizya tax. So once again, you can take your Muslim kind of interaction with non-Muslims and ram it. The only foregiveness your allah calls for is between Muslims, the non-muslim is to be tread underfoot until they either convert or feel themselves subdued. Nice try but no one is buying your nonsense of no compulsion in religion , Dhimmitude is but one form of compulsion as well as we have more than clear examples of how Muslims treat the apostates. Forced retraction or death.You said:Many Muslim women choose to live their lives in different ways and no-one has the right to force things upon them. In actual fact,there are certain other faiths that subject heir women to treatment beyond imagination.I do not disagree that there are those who have tainted this beautiful religion, and many Muslims like myself also oppose these “radical Muslims” and those who believe so fiercely that jihad should be taking place everywhere. These people are probably not even practicing Muslims, rather they are “fantasists”. I have a lot more would like to explain and discuss, however, time does not permit me. As a final comment PLEASE DO NOT TARNISH ALL WITH THE SAME BRUSH, for this also portrays a lack of intelligence. May you all live peacefully. Thank you.TT: Women in Islam are treated like cattle, the horror stories abound. They’re deemed to be deceptive temptresses who need watching over by males guards. When a woman is raped, she needs four men as witnesses otherwise she risks jail time or even death for her own rape. Save us the BS, we know better already, you’re not fooling anyone.The Muslims you call radicals are the very same ones who can point to the same Islamic texts and prove you to be apostates, not following the true path. As long as they can successfully do that, you got a problem.The problem with Islamic fundamentalists, are the fundamentals of Islam