Massive protests in Sokoto against blasphemy, as release of arrested killers demanded

The Caliphate through a statement issued and signed by Secretary to the Sultanate Council Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’idu Muhammadu Maccido, said the Council “condemned the incident in its totality and has urged the security agencies to bring perpetrators of the unjustifiable incident to justice.”

Alhaji Maccido, who is Danburam Sokoto, said the Sultanate Council had also “urged all to remain calm and ensure peaceful co-existence among all people of the state and nation.”

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in an equally swift press release condemned the killing of the female student, who blasphemed Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and called on security agencies to do the needful by bringing the perpetrators to book but said that the incident should not be condemned in isolation as, according to the Islamic rights group, the recent trend whereby Nigerians now freely shed their brothers blood should be condemned by all patriots. “In this regard, we also strongly denounce the killing of several Northern Muslims in the South East in the past few months.”

Several other Muslims also revisited the killing by thugs allegedly sponsored by Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), who shut dead a Muslim male student Habeeb in Kwara State’s school over anti-Hijab antagonism and up till today police was yet to arrest killers of the boy and CAN has continued to feel good with it.

“MURIC strongly condemns this killing and all others that have been happening in Nigeria in recent times. Those aggrieved by the student’s post should have reported her to the security agencies or to the Shariah police, the hizbah. Mob killing is archaic and bohemian. It belongs to the Stone Age. Nobody has the right to take the law into his hands.

“The Glorious Qur’an compares the killing of a single person to the killing of the whole of humanity just as it compares the saving of a life to the rescue of all homo sapiens (Qur’an 5:32) In like manner, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself condemned all acts of violence and advocated peaceful conduct at all times,” the MURIC statement signed by its Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, explained.

Like some other Muslims have noted the continued selective editorial judgement where, according to them, religious and ethnic biases are reflected as they choose to bury some news when they affect Muslims or Northerners but cry to high heaven when affect people of religious and tribal interests of the media practitioners, MURIC also called attention to other case of Muslims, who were burnt to death with their cows last week in the South East east but to which they claimed the Southern dominated media have paid little or no attention.

According to human rights group, “We frown at the recent burning last week of a truck fully loaded with cows in the South East as well as the killing of many Muslims of South East origin by their Igbo brothers in the same South East. We note with keen interest that Muslims in the North did not retaliate when these killings were taking place.

“MURIC calls on the Sokoto Police Command to do everything within its power to get to the bottom of the yesterday’s (Thursday) killing of the female student over alleged blasphemy. We appeal to members of the public to remain calm and law abiding. Nigerians should allow the police to carry out its investigations on the case. The Sokoto Police Command has started well as it already has two suspects in detention for the killing.

“Meanwhile we remind Nigerians to always exercise restraint on matters of religion. Free speech is no longer free if it amounts to religious provocation. Even the European Court has ruled that the utterance of derisive statements against the prophet of any religion is a crime.

“We affirm clearly, categorically and unequivocally that there is a symbiotic relationship between provocation, violence and extremism. While MURIC will not condone extremism and violence, the anatomy of terrorism is becoming clearer day by day. We must all ponder over the causal-effect theory. Violence and terrorism are mere symptoms. The real disease is provocation. Violence and terrorism are mere smoke. Provocation is the fire and we all know that there is no smoke without fire.

“We therefore appeal to Nigerians to desist from insulting, deriding or abusing the prophets of other religions. Muslims should continue to respect Jesus (peace be upon him) whom the Christians hold very dear. In the same vein, Christians should avoid casting aspersion on the person of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). We have experienced enough religious crisis in the land,” MURIC said in the statement.

What Christian leaders should do more

According to a source, “While we condemn our own misguided brothers for taking the law into their hands because they are not permitted by Islam to do so, we must also call on Christian leaders to educate their followers with the right doctrines as it is not Godly for member of one religion to insult or blaspheme the prophet or Lord or belief of other religious people.  It is their religious value and must be seen as sacred.”

In addition he said “It is not only in Islam that you must not blaspheme but also it is a commandment in the Holy Bible and so, Christian leaders especially CAN, the time they spend in antagonising Islam and Muslims over their values, if they spend it in educating and telling this truth to their followers and youths, Nigeria will be at peace with itself.”

He quoted the Biblical reference that, according to him, is the truth that Christian leaders who are joining those who say one cannot fight for God are avoiding, what Bible says about blaspheming the name of the Lord:

“Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall stone him. The sojourner as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.” LEVITICUS 24:10-16.

According details given in Christianity.com, Blasphemy is “generally defined as the act or offense of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things, synonymous with irreverence and disrespect of God or Christ.”

A further investigation into Merriam-Webster, blasphemy is defined as “the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God; and/or the act of claiming the attributes of a deity”.

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-is-blasphemy-meaning-definition.html