Sharia panel: Yoruba Muslims not afraid of legal action, says MURIC

Following the threat by a Yoruba group tagged Yoruba Council Worldwide (Igbimo Apapo Yoruba Lagbaye) to institute a legal action against Muslims planning to launch a Shari’ah panel in Oyo town, Oyo State, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has declared that Yoruba Muslims are not afraid of legal action.

The Islamic human rights group corrected the impression that a court was being inaugurated. Founder/Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, insisted that what was being planned was not a Shari’ah court but a Shari’ah panel which has been in existence in Yorubaland since 2003 to date.

He therefore accused the Yoruba group of making a mountain out of a molehill.

Akintola said: “This is a deliberate attempt to create tension because, in reality, nobody is planning to inaugurate a Shari’ah court. What is being planned in Oyo town is a Shari’ah panel. It is only the state or Federal Government that has the constitutional power to create a court.

“On the contrary, any group of people can set up a panel. A panel is just a committee. A group can set up a committee or panel and an organization can do the same. The Yoruba group is just crying wolf where there is none because we explained all these in our earlier statement.

“We want to correct the impression that Oyo Muslims plan to inaugurate a Shari’ah court. What Oyo Muslims are planning is not a Shari’ah ‘court’ but a Shari’ah panel. This is something that has been in existence in Yorubaland since 2003 to date.

“How sensible is it for anyone to say Muslims should not form a committee? How logical is it to say Muslims should not hold meetings inside their mosques and halls? This Yoruba group is not well informed, otherwise it should have known that what it is trying to stop already exists in all the states of the South-West.

“Already, there are Shari’ah panels sitting at the Central Mosque, Oja Oba, Ibadan, Oyo State (since May 1, 2002); Abesan Central Mosque, Ipaja, Lagos State (since 2003); Egba Muslims Central Mosque, Kobiti, Abeokuta, Ogun State (since January 17, 2018); Osun State Muslim Community Secretariat, Ring Road, Oshogbo (since 2005).

“Going by the venues mentioned here it is clear that the Shari’ah panels are not using government’s buildings or courts. They use mosques because the Shari’ah panels are private arbitration panels. But they already exist. So, this Yoruba group is trying to shut the stable door after the horse has escaped.

“Only those who want to make caricatures of themselves will think of stopping the Shari’ah panels. They are not disturbing anybody. They have never and will never invite Christians to appear before them.

“Even the Muslims who appear before them do so voluntarily because the Shari’ah panels have no power of enforcement. So, what is the big deal? Why so much fuss? Isn’t this much ado about nothing? What does this Yoruba group want except to heat up the polity? They are attention seekers,” he stated.

Akintola said it is only that civil Shari’ah that Yoruba Muslims are activating in their Shari’ah panels without official involvement because none of the South-West governors since independence have had the liberal or democratic mien to allow the application of Sections 275(1), 276 and 277 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution which allow the practice of Shariah in any state with substantial Muslim population.

“It is gratifying that the Yoruba group has threatened to go to court. We assure them that Yoruba Muslims are not afraid of legal action over Shari’ah. The law is on our side. But we advise that they should take a good look at the sections of the constitution cited above before doing so and make sure they ask those who went to court before over Shari’ah.

We are waiting.” Prof Akintola concluded.