The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on the people of South-West to desist from encroaching on the rights of Yoruba Muslim traditional rulers who wish to live, die and be buried as Muslims.

In a statement on Monday, the Executive Director (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola, lamented that Muslim traditional rulers have been condemned in recent times for exhibiting their preference for Islamic practices in their personal affairs like worship, death and burial.

He said their detractors argue that they had no right to demand any treatment other than the traditional way of life, since they are traditional rulers.

Akintola said, “We assert the right of Muslim traditional rulers to follow their chosen faith. It should be noted that a Muslim king is more often than not crowned as a Muslim because, ceteris paribus, he was a Muslim before becoming king and nothing has changed in his anatomy, physiology or lineage.

“This does not stop him from carrying out his duties as king over all: Muslims, Christians, traditionalists. He is expected to be fair to all regardless of religious leaning. Neither is he expected, even as a Muslim, to totally abandon any group. The worst-case scenario is the delegation of duties, but his presence must be felt in all groups, no matter what form.”

He said it amounts to crossing the red line and religious coercion to insist that a Muslim king must live as a traditional worshipper or be buried as one.

“Yoruba traditional worshippers have failed to demonstrate the spirit of liberalism in matters of religion. It is sad that there have been so many cases of forceful conversion at the shrines where the children of deceased traditionalists are made to accept traditional religion willy-nilly. It must stop.

“This practice is contrary to the letter and spirit of Section 38(i)&(ii) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended 2011), which stipulates freedom of religion. Yorubaland is an integral part of Nigeria and this Constitution is supreme (Chapter 1, Part 1, Section 1),” Akintola said.

The MURIC director called for an end to all forms of coercion, intimidation, bullying, and threats aimed at forcing Yoruba kings to abandon their faith.

“Any king who wishes to follow traditionalists is free to do so, but Muslim kings who expressly desire to live and die as Muslims should be left alone,” he said.