MURIC, The Muslim Rights Concern has alleged that Nigerian Christians enjoy more holidays than their Muslim counterparts.

MURIC made this declaration in a statement released on Friday morning while reacting to claims by the Christian Association of Nigeria that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria.

MURIC said the number of public holidays in addition to the New Year being enjoyed by Christians is proof that Christians are more favoured than Muslims.

In a statement signed by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola

As Nigerian
Christians joined their counterparts throughout the world to celebrate the New
Year on Wednesday, 1st January 2020, an Islamic human rights organization has
alleged lopsidedness, partiality and persecution of Muslims in the manner the
Nigerian government dishes out its holidays.

Rising from an
emergency meeting where it deliberated on the latest allegation of persecution
by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Muslim Rights Concern
(MURIC), has insisted that the last public holiday which was declared by the
Federal Government on 1st January 2020, has exposed CAN as a body which enjoys
shedding crocodile tears. This was contained in a press statement circulated on
Friday, 3rd January 2020, by the director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

MURIC said in the
statement, "CAN claims it is being persecuted but fails to substantiate
its allegation in concrete terms. However, the last holiday of Wednesday, 1st
January 2020 which is an annual event has exposed CAN. Nigerian Christians
enjoy the New Year holiday on the 1st of January every year even without asking
for it because that was the arrangement made by the British colonial master.
But CAN still claims 'persecution' even though it is placed at an advantaged
position.

“Nigerian
Christians have 1st January to enjoy their first day of the year. Nobody can
deny that this happened two days ago. But when the Muslims’ first day of the
year comes (1st Muharram), there will be no holiday. When will CAN put itself
in the Muslims' shoes? Or rather when, indeed, will the Nigerian government
give the Muslims what the colonial master denied them but gave the Christians?
When will the Muslims get justice in this country? Here is the persecution of
Muslims that even CAN cannot deny. It happened just two days ago and we all saw
it? Or is the granting of a holiday for a Christian occasion and the denial of
the same to Muslims another form of persecution of CAN? 

"Christians
have five out of the eight holidays enjoyed by Nigerians. Muslims have three
only. Yet CAN claims persecution. Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year Day,
Easter Monday and Good Friday are all for Christians. We dare CAN deny it. Are
these not concrete privileges enjoyed by Christians? Are the five holidays we
mention here mere fallacies? Muslims only have three, namely, Id al-Kabir, Id
al-Fitr and Maulud an-Nabiyy. Is there any mathematical inexactitude in our
calculation? Should CAN be complaining at all with this kind of setting?

“We make bold to
say that CAN knows what it is doing. The Christian body knows that it has an
edge over the Muslims as it enjoys everything it needs and even more. CAN knows
that it is the Muslims who are denied certain fundamental human rights but it
is determined to maintain the status quo. The modus operandi adopted by CAN to
ensure that Muslims never get their rights is to perpetually cry out with
claims of persecution and also to oppose every attempt to give Muslims their
rights.

“This game played
itself out when Shariah was introduced in some Northern states from 1979
onwards. They claimed it was an attempt to Islamise Nigeria. Shariah was
introduced and nobody changed the country's nomenclature to the 'Islamic
Republic of Nigeria'. CAN did the same thing when Islamic banking was about to
be introduced. Cries of Islamisation rented the air. Islamic banking arrived
but we are yet to see how it has Islamised anyone. This was repeated on the
issue of Sukuk (Islamic bonds) and both Christians and Muslims are benefiting
from the Islamic Sukuk today.

“MURIC will not
be deterred from pursuing Islamic liberation theology to a logical conclusion
in Nigeria. We assert clearly, categorically and unequivocally that Muslims are
in bondage in this country. Why should one group get all the honey in the land
while the other is ignored? We demand equal rights and justice. We demand
parity, particularly on the issue of holidays. Christian 1st January is just 24
hours and the Muslim 1st Muharram is no less. Why should the Federal Government
recognize one and deny the other?

“Just two days
ago, we joined other Nigerians in sending goodwill messages to our Christian
neighbours. Governments at federal and state levels felicitated with Nigerians
on that occasion. Parastatals and important dignitaries also congratulated
Nigerians. MURIC also issued a statement greeting Christians in Nigeria. We do
this every year even though our own 1st Muharram is not recognized. But nobody
will remember Muslims on 1st Muharram. Is this fair? 

“‘When beggars
die, there are no comets seen. The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of
princes…’ William Shakespeare was right when he put those words on the lips of
Calpurnia, the wife of Julius Caeser as she begged her husband not to venture
out on the ides of March. Isn't this very germane to the issue on the ground?
The drums are rolled out by the government on 1st January. But they are
conspiratorially silent on 1st Muharram. Is this justice? Are we working for
enduring peace in this country? What have the Muslims done to deserve this
treatment? 

“It is important
to note that even the three holidays enjoyed by Muslims were reluctantly given
after several years of post-independence. There were no holidays for Islamic
festivals in colonial days. It was that bad.

"To add salt
to injury, the Federal Government has never responded in spite of a deluge of
petitions received from Muslims. MURIC has been demanding the 1st Muharram
holiday since its formation in 1994 (26 years). It is highly provocative. It is
a dereliction of duty on the part of the government. A father who gives
preferential treatment to its children is not uniting the family. Is government
waiting until the demand snowballs into another struggle? MURIC will not
partake in that. But what does it cost the government to take a bold stand on
this matter? It is not about the Buhari government per se. Successive
administrations have failed to address the issue.

“Already, some
state governments have recognized 1st Muharram, mostly from the North. Osun
under Rauf Aregbesola (current Minister of Internal Affairs) and Oyo under
Isiaka Ajimobi also did and heaven did not fall. So what stops the Federal
Government from taking the cue? By the way, Muslims in those two states of the
South West have written the names of those two former governors in letters of
gold.

“The question now
is: how does President Muhammadu Buhari want to be remembered by Nigerian
Muslims? Can the declaration of 1st Muharram as a public holiday be a drift
towards Islamisation? Predictably, yes, particularly by CAN. But we can take
the wind out of their sail by placing 1st January and 1st Muharram parri passu.
The public no longer takes CAN serious anyway.

“MURIC wishes to
put the Federal Government on notice. The next 1st Muharram will fall on
Thursday, 20th August 2020. The government has a whole eight months to plan and
prepare its mind. It also has an extra three days in the third week in August
to declare Thursday a holiday in recognition of 1st Muharram. To be or not to
be? That is the question. MURIC does not issue an ultimatum. Neither is a
threat to our character. We are a dialogue-loving body. But the government's
body language will tell Nigerian Muslims what to do and whoever thinks the
Muslims of Nigeria are still the same as they were five years ago will be
making a gross miscalculation. 

"As we sign
out, we remind the Federal Government that it is high time it listened to the
Muslims' demand for the declaration of 1st Muharram as a public holiday in
parity with 1st January public holiday. CAN has no moral right to claim
persecution as Nigerian Christians enjoy five holidays while their Muslim
counterparts have three only. FG should promote unity and patriotism by
treating all equally. Neither should the government allow one group to lord it
over the other."

Professor Ishaq
Akintola,

Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)