MURIC hails Kano Govt for banning ‘provocative’ Islamic scholar, shutting his mosque
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has hailed the government of Kano State for taking the action to ban a controversial Islamic scholar, Shaykh Abdul Jabbar Kabara, over his erratic and provocative sermons.
The DEFENDER reports that the state government shut Kabara’s mosque at Gwale area in the heart of Kano city, while reportedly also promising to arrange a debate between the Shaykh and other Islamic scholars, for which a lawyer believed to represent the controversial Islamic scholar has since gone to court seeking declaration that the debate is illegal.
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduja of the state is ostensibly second after Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State, out of the 36 governors of Nigeria’s Federating units, who have been bold enough to tell any religious leader or group to his or its face saying “you cannot hide under religion to cause violence in my state”.
Such proactive level of response to crisis management, President Muhammadu Buhari has been urged by many concerned Nigerians to evoke against Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other religious groups or leaders, whose activities in recent times worsened the war against terrorism, division along religion and ethnicity divides in the country and, more unacceptably, put the country on danger line internationally.
On Kabara, MURIC, an Islamic human rights organization, commended the Kano State government in a statement issued by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola on Monday, 8th February, 2021.
The Ishaq Akintola-led group said: “There have been complaints of erratic preaching against Shaykh Kabara for quite some time. Coming from the Tijaniyyah Sufi order, Sunni Muslims have lodged lots of complaints against him in the past. They even accused him of abusing the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). This is a very sensitive and volatile issue that can set not only the city of Kano on fire but the whole North.
“We commend Governor Ganduje for taking this proactive step. A stitch in time saves nine. This is not the time to allow the outbreak of religious crisis. Trouble makers are waiting out there to capitalize on any little breakdown of law and order to foment trouble. They will seize any little opportunity to cause mayhem. This is why the governor deserves a pat in the back. We hope other state governors will act promptly to nip every crisis that rears its ugly head in the bud. Nigeria needs peace to develop.
“Nonetheless, we advise the Kano State Government to open the mosque for worshippers if Shaykh Kabara is ready to give an undertaking of peaceful and good conduct. He must also pledge to desist from delivering inciting sermons.
“Finally, the government should set rules and guidelines for the coming debate between Shaykh Kabara and Sunni scholars. The rules should not only guide the scholars but the audience as well. Government is advised to avoid a live television coverage. We believe that a recorded television debate to be watched after the recording is preferable in order to avoid unpalatable spontaneous reactions from the public.”
