The Muslims Rights Concern, MURIC, has condemned the raids on mosques in Aba, Abia State by men of the Nigerian Army during which the Chief Imam of Aba Central Mosque, Alhaji Bashir Idris and fourteen others were arrested.
In a statement signed by MURIC director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola regretted that though the Chief Imam and twelve of those arrested were set free after rigorous interrogation that lasted hours at the 144 Battalion, Asa in Ukwa West council area of the state, two teachers of the New Horizon Academy which is attached to Aba Central Mosque were not released.
It was alleged that the soldiers discovered substances suspected to be chemical at the school.
“The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) denounces the constant raids on mosques which have become recurring decimal in the South Eastern part of Nigeria.
“The unfolding pattern reveals overzealousness on the part of Easterners and the security operatives based in the South-East. Flimsy excuses are being used to persecute Muslims and Northerners resident in their midst.
“We affirm that this is contrary to the spirit of brotherhood expected among fellow Nigerians. It is also a usurpation of the Allah-given and fundamental human rights of Muslims and Northerners residing in the South-East as enshrined in Chapter IV, Section 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
MURIC said that the constant raids on mosques constitute deliberate desecration of the sanctity of a place of worship.
“By constantly raiding mosques, Nigerian soldiers are setting a bad precedent. Also by molesting Imams and Islamic scholars, Nigerian security agencies are engaging in religious stigmatization, ethnic profiling and undue scapegoatism.”
These actions, according to MURIC, are not only most unethical but also highly unprofessional. “They stand in contradistinction to international best practices among security agencies around the world where the focus is on intelligence gathering instead of the manifestation of Stone Age security gimmicks and dictatorial Gestapo tactics.”
It said that by harassing Northerners and intimidating Muslims in the South-East, Nigerian security agents are sending out the wrong message to the rest of the world, to wit, that Muslims are now endangered species in Nigeria.
“This is unfortunate because it proves that we are not ready to integrate Nigerian Muslims in the Nigerian project,” it said.
It described the allegation that the two detained teachers were storing bomb-making chemicals as spurious, baseless and unfounded and demanded the immediate release of the two teachers, the Chemistry teacher, Abdul Rahman Sani and the principal, Abdul Majid Abubakar.
“Who does not know that chemicals are needed to teach chemistry? Instead of keeping them incommunicado beyond 48 hours, the duo should be arraigned in a properly constituted court of law if anything is found against them.”
MURIC that it is alarmed that Igbo leaders are not doing anything to stem the tide of Islamophobia in the South East and charged the Ohaneze to rise above primordial sentiments and stop the harassment of innocent Northerners and Muslims in their midst.
Follow Us