By Toye Olori
LAGOS, Oct 16 1999 (IPS)

Nigeria may be heading for a religious chaos as the predominantly Muslim states in the north have announced plans to introduce Islamic Sharia (Laws) in their region.

One state, Zamfara, has already adopted Sharia, which will come into force on Oct 27, while four other states in the region are already debating the prospect of introducing the legal system.

The Sharia, derived from the Holy Koran, and practised in Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Sudan, calls for amputation of limbs for stealing, flogging for consuming alcohol and stoning to death for committing adultery.

While signing the bill into law on Oct 8, Zamfara State Governor, Ahmed Sani, said: “The new legal system will clear the way for a radical restructuring of a system of justice that has failed, considering the current high level of crime, moral decadence and anti-social behaviours in the society”.

“The high crime rate shows that the present Western system of administration of justice has failed and needed to be restructured and replaced by another more effective legal system,” Sani said.

The law will not only, he said, prescribe offences and punishment, but will also touch on the faith of both Muslims and non-Muslims, targeting deviant behaviours like drinking of alcohol, adultery, fornication and gambling prohibited in the Holy Koran.

Already, the Zamfara government has canceled all liquor licences as well as gambling permits and banned the sale of alcohol in beer parlours and hotels throughout the state.

The bill, like the 1986 controversial decision and Muslims, with opponents warning that the move will drag Nigeria, which is a secular state, into a religious war.

Segun Aribike, a Christian living in the commercial capital of Lagos, wonders whether “the northern states which practise Sharia can guarantee the laws will not be used to punish non-Muslims since not all citizens living in their states are Moslems”.

“What happens to a Southern Muslim if he does not want to be tried under Islamic law in the north. Will such an offender have a right to decide where he wants to be tried?”, she asks.

“What I see is only chaos. The adoption of Islegal system in a secular state portends serious concern. I hope we are not laying the foundation for a religious war in this country,” says Aribike.

Olubunmi Okogie, Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, has also warned of the danger of introducing Sharia in the West Afligious war again because I believe they know what religious conflicts has caused this country before,” Okogie told IPS, referring to the 1966-1970 conflict when the east attempted to break away and form an independent state.

Adopting Islamic law in Nigeria, a secular st with a secular constitution, will be parallel to the country’s constitution and will not be accepted, Okogie warns.

“If Christians and other religions practised in the country decide to have their own judicial system, how many systems of laws will be practised in this country?”, he asked.

Okogie vehemently opposed Nigeria’s joining the OIC, in 1986, an emotive issue which almost tore the nation aparncil for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, who enumerated the advantages in Nigeria becoming a permanent member of the organisation.

“Nigeria should consider the permanent membership of OIC as another avenue for the country to expand the frontier of mutual cooperation with other countries,” Maccido said.

Others have remained opposed to Nigeria’s joining the Islamic body.

“That Nigeria has become an Islamic state is a bedroom policy which nobody can impose on us,” said Sunday Mbang, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

B social conflicts. “If you know that when you cheat on someone you will be punished, you will not cheat and that will bring about the much needed sanity in this country”, he says.

Adamu told IPS that: “In the Western legal sysscape punishment because where one commits an offence, a good lawyer can easily tilt the case in favour of the criminal, but this can not be done in the Islamic Sharia court”.

Muslims make up 50 percent of Nigeria’s 110 million people, Christians 40 percent, and the remaining being followers of traditional African religion.

Excerpt:

By Toye Olori
LAGOS, Oct 13 1999 (IPS)

Nigeria may be heading for a religious chaos as the predominantly Muslim states in the north have announced plans to introduce Islamic Sharia (Laws) in their region. One state, Zamfara, has already adopted Sharia, which will come into force on Oct 27, while four other states in the region are already debating the prospect of introducing the legal system. The Sharia, derived from the Holy Koran, and practised in Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Sudan, calls for amputation of limbs for stealing, flogging for consuming alcohol and stoning to death for committing adultery. While signing the bill into law on Oct 8, Zamfara State Governor, Ahmed Sani, said: “The new legal system will clear the way for a radical restructuring of a system of justice that has failed, considering the current high level of crime, moral decadence and anti-social behaviours in the society”. “The high crime rate shows that the present Western system of administration of justice has failed and needed to be restructured and replaced by another more effective legal system,” Sani said. The law will not only, he said, prescribe offences and punishment, but will also touch on the faith of both Muslims and non-Muslims, targeting deviant behaviours like drinking of alcohol, adultery, fornication and gambling prohibited in the Holy Koran. Already, the Zamfara government has canceled all liquor licences as well as gambling permits and banned the sale of alcohol in beer parlours and hotels throughout the state. The bill, like the 1986 controversial decision by Nigeria to join the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), has generated heated debates between Christians and Muslims, with opponents warning that the move will drag Nigeria, which is a secular state, into a religious war. Segun Aribike, a Christian living in the commercial capital of Lagos, wonders whether “the northern states which practise Sharia can guarantee the laws will not be used to punish non-Muslims since not all citizens living in their states are Moslems”. “What happens to a Southern Muslim if he does not want to be tried under Islamic law in the north. Will such an offender have a right to decide where he wants to be tried?”, she asks.

“What I see is only chaos. The adoption of Islamic legal system in a secular state portends serious concern. I hope we are not laying the foundation for a religious war in this country,” says Aribike.

Olubunmi Okogie, Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, has also warned of the danger of introducing Sharia in the West African country. “They should not spark a religious war again because I believe they know what religious conflicts has caused this country before,” Okogie told IPS, referring to the 1966-1970 conflict when the east attempted to break away and form an independent state.

Adopting Islamic law in Nigeria, a secular state with a secular constitution, will be parallel to the country’s constitution and will not be accepted, Okogie warns.

“If Christians and other religions practised in the country decide to have their own judicial system, how many systems of laws will be practised in this country?”, he asked.

Okogie vehemently opposed Nigeria’s joining the OIC, in 1986, an emotive issue which almost tore the nation apart.

Despite the protests, Nigeria’s membership was, in April 1998, formally confirmed by Muhammadu Maccido, Sultan of the northern state of Sokoto and Head of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, who enumerated the advantages in Nigeria becoming a permanent member of the organisation.

“Nigeria should consider the permanent membership of OIC as another avenue for the country to expand the frontier of mutual cooperation with other countries,” Maccido said.

Others have remained opposed to Nigeria’s joining the Islamic body.

“That Nigeria has become an Islamic state is a bedroom policy which nobody can impose on us,” said Sunday Mbang, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

But Sani Adamu, a Muslim scholar in Lagos, believes that the introduction of the legal system would foster social cohesion rather than social conflicts. “If you know that when you cheat on someone you will be punished, you will not cheat and that will bring about the much needed sanity in this country”, he says.

Adamu told IPS that: “In the Western legal system, it is easy to escape punishment because where one commits an offence, a good lawyer can easily tilt the case in favour of the criminal, but this can not be done in the Islamic Sharia court”.

Muslims make up 50 percent of Nigeria’s 110 million people, Christians 40 percent, and the remaining being followers of traditional African religion.

Excerpt: