Nigeria May Break Up The News (Lagos) February 29, 2000 Lagos - Abdul Oroh, Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Organisation was in Zamfara State recently. He spoke with Ademola Adegbamigbe on the Sharia problem. Q: You are a Moslem, married to a Christian and you are a human rights activist. How do you see the Sharia problem? A: I believe, like any other Muslim, that Sharia is a process designed to regulate the whole life of a Moslem, from cradle to the grave. But Islam also says that there is no compulsion in religion. So, that is why my wife is a Catholic and I am a Moslem. I don't want to force her to do what she doesn't want to do. Secondly, I believe that in a multi-religious society, people should leave room for tolerance. People must tolerate the diversity of such a society. It would be wrong for me, therefore, as a Moslem to impose my religion or values on you. This is why I have problem with implementing the Sharia 100 per cent, in a society that is multi-religious. In the past, Sharia was operated in some parts of Nigeria to regulate the personal lives of individuals. It is called Islamic personal law which deals with issues like marriage and divorce, etc. I think it should be left at that level. The other aspect that deals with criminal jurisprudence is already taken care of by existing laws, like the penal code in the North and the criminal code in the South. So, I am 100 per cent opposed to the manipulation of religion for political ends. Q: You were in Zamfara State recently. What were your findings? A: By the time we were there, nobody had been flogged, no heavy fine had been imposed on anybody. The Sharia law had not actually taken effect when we were there. But when we came back, we started receiving reports about people being given 100 strokes of the cane for pre-marital sex or drinking alcohol. I think the government can regulate the lives of people through moral suasion, not by imposing strict religious doctrines on people. Religious lives of people should be the responsibility of such individuals. In other words, your relationship with your God should be your private affair. It has nothing to do with the government. Q: What was your impression of the governor when you met him? A: We were convinced that he was a man who was clearly determined to implement his Islamic code and believed seriously that it was the way to go. When we asked, him why he wanted to proclaim Sharia. He said he had to do it because that was what the public demanded. And when we raised the constitutionality of it, the governor said the Sharia was superior to any constitution (of course, he swore to an oath to defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria). He tried to convince us that it would never affect Christians. That there was the case of a Christian opting to go to a Sharia court. That if any of such thing happen again, he would want the man to talk to the Christian Association of Nigeria first. But then, we discovered that the resources of the state have been applied to Sharia. I saw a bus with an inscription "Zamfara State Council of Preachers'' with loud speakers and all. They have a ministry of religious affairs. He bought buses for women, about 20 taxis exclusively for women, then about 100 motorcycles for men. He made it clear that if they like, Christians can board public transport. He tried to convince us that Sharia was for Moslems alone. I asked him a fundamental question that if I, a Moslem, wanted to change my religion, how would he deal with it as a governor of Zamfara? The Governor said that in Zamfara State laws, there was no such provision to deal with an "apostate." But there is a constitutional provision which says you can change your religion. He said that he would expect the family of the "apostate" to kill him. Q: The Governor said that? A: Yes, to kill him! I was alarmed by such a statement, because in Arab countries, it happens. They call it "honour killing." Q: Sharia was introduced in Zamfara without incident. A: The reason for lack of incidents in Zamfara is simple. The state is about 98 per cent Muslim. There was an overwhelming support for it, because the governor had also mobilised the people along to support Sharia. But Kaduna is a different kettle of fish. It is a melting pot of religions and different ethnic groups. Q: The Sharia bill has been signed into law in Niger State... A: Niger State is a multi-religious state. I expect that something terrible may happen there. Q: Despite the position of the 1999 Constitution on the Sharia, the Federal Government seems to be impotent. A: I think the Federal Government does not know what to do really. That is, however, not the best way to address a very volatile issue like this. The government ought to be able to find a solution to all these. Q: What are the implications of what is happening? A: It could lead to the break-up of Nigeria. It could lead to a protracted period of civil war or eventually we may have an Algeria-like situation on our hands. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright (c) 2000 The News. Distributed via Africa News Online ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------