DEBORAH: NACOMYO berates media, bar’s misleading generalisation to ‘promote bigoted hatred for Muslims’

*Recalls how Muslims saved UI’s Christian Law student from being lynched, rusticated despite crime against them

*Frowns at upsurge in administration of jungle justice across Nigeria

…and unwarranted attack on Muslims by adherents of other faiths

By KEMI KASUMU

“In their rush to malign and impugn Islam, they forgot the now famous Imam Abubakar of Plateau who hid over 300 Christians in his mosque to protect them from attack. They also fail to awaken their consciousness to the 2010 acts of maturity displayed by the Muslim Community of the University of Ibadan despite the provocative and indecorous actions of a female Christian Law student…”

The National Council Muslim Youth Organisation (NACOMYO) has underscored the need for mutual love, kindness, tolerance, sincerity and respect for the beliefs of others as the panacea to the incessant inter-religious conflicts in the country.

The Council’s stated this in a press statement jointly signed by National President, Sani Suleiman Maigoro, and Secretary General, Mas’ud Akintola, while reacting to the recent lynching and setting ablaze of a student, Deborah Yakubu Samuel, by a mob ostensibly for using expletives against the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW), last week Thursday May 12, 2022.

According to the statement titled, “Mutual Love, Kindness, Tolerance, Sincerity And Respect Imperative” and dated May 19, 2022, the Muslim Youths Council noted that it was disturbed by the fallacy of hasty generalisation employed by a section of the media, Bar and Public commentators who latched on this unfortunate incident to promote and entrench their bigotted hatred for Muslims.

“In their rush to malign and impugn Islam, they forgot the now famous Imam Abubakar of Plateau who hid over 300 Christians in his mosque to protect them from attack. They also fail to awaken their consciousness to the 2010 acts of maturity displayed by the Muslim Community of the University of Ibadan despite the provocative and indecorous actions of a female Christian Law student who attempted to disrupt the Jumaat prayers by preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ in the peak of the prayers.

“The student, Seun Adegunsoye was not only protected from being lynched but was protected against rustication from the University Authorities by the Elders of the Mosque,” it recalled.

NACOMYO frowned at the upsurge in the administration of jungle justice across the country and unwarranted attack on Muslims by adherents of other faiths.

“Notable incidences of mob attack abound mostly perpetrated by adherents of other faiths, among these are the “Aluu 4” at the University of Port Harcourt and the murder of Habeeb Idris in Ijagbo over a peaceful procession on hijab. Till date the perpetrators have not been prosecuted.

“We appeal to Law Enforcement Agencies to be proactive in curbing criminal acts and ensuring that offenders are brought to book to serve as deterrent to others.”

Council posits that there is the urgent need to strengthen the country’s judicial system to be more responsive and prompt in the dispensation of justice.

“This has become imperative now to instill people’s confidence in the system and prevent future mob action. Justice delayed is justice denied. The citizens of this country are almost unanimous that our Courts system is too slow to in the dispensation of justice.