The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called for changes n the constitution to establish Sharia courts in all states in the South-West region and to declare Fridays as public holidays for Muslims.
Executive Director of the group, Prof. Ishaq Akintola,
made these requests during a public hearing on constitutional reform.
He highlighted that there are currently no Sharia courts in the South-West states, where many Muslims live, and he believes this goes against the region’s Islamic heritage before colonial times.
Prof. Akintola argued that the Sharia courts would be specifically for Muslims and would not affect the rights of non-Muslims.
He also suggested that recognizing Friday as a public holiday, would better accommodate Muslim worship, as the current weekend, Saturday and Sunday tend to favor Christians.
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He mentioned that traditionally, Thursdays and Fridays served as the weekend for Muslims before colonial influences changed this.
Furthermore, Prof. Akintola pointed out that five of Nigeria’s eight national holidays celebrate Christian events, while Muslim holidays like Eid and Maulud are fewer in number.
He urged for the Islamic New Year to be recognized as a national holiday as well.
Additionally, he called for official acknowledgment of Islamic marriage certificates, stating that the current system is unfair to Muslims.
The Muslim Ummah of South-West Nigeria (MUSWEN) also supported the proposals, suggesting the creation of Islamic finance courts to help facilitate Muslim economic activities.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele assured that all suggestions made during the hearing would be carefully reviewed by the National Assembly.
