Nigerian Christians have been alleged by the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) that they enjoy more holidays than Muslims in Nigeria.
This allegation was made by MURIC in a statement released on Friday morning while addressing claims made by CAN that Christians are being persecuted.
While reacting to CAN assertion, MURIC stated that the number of public holidays including New Year day being enjoyed by Christians is proof that Christians are more favoured than muslims.
MURIC’s statement signed by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, reads
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 persecution of Muslims that even CAN cannot deny. It happened just two days ago and we all saw it? Or is the granting of holiday for a Christian occasion and the denial of 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 to deny it. Are these not concrete priviledges enjoyed by Christians? Are the five holidays we mention here mere fallacies? Muslims only have three, namely, Id al-Kabiir, 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 ‘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