The Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria has said
that members of Islamic Movement in Nigeria, the largest Shi’ite sect in
country, indicted in the December 2015 clash with the Nigerian Army in Zaria
should be punished.
The Sharia Council which made the call in a
communiqué issued after a meeting in Kaduna on Sunday, August 7, 2016 said the
indicted Shi’ites must be made to face the full wrath of the law for their
deeds in the clash.
The call for the punishment of the indicted members
of the IMN, according to Sheikh Yusuf Rigachikun, who read out the communiqué,
is because Shi’ism is not Islam.
Rigachikun said from the series of lectures by
Muslim scholars, it was obvious that “Shi’ism is not Islam” and that Muslims
should acquire the knowledge of their religion, “so that they are not
derailed.”
He noted that their action against the army was
un-Islamic as such; they must pay for their action in accordance with the law
of the land.
He argued that even before the report of the panel
of inquiry that looked into the clash, the Islamic sect had shown much signs of
guilt citing the IMN’s boycott of the commission of inquiry as an indication of
guilt.
”From the delivered lectures, it has become obvious
that Shi’ism is not Islam and Muslims should acquire the knowledge of their
religion, so that they are not derailed from the true teachings of Prophet
Muhammad (SAW),” the communique read.
“Muslims should also respect and revere all the
companions of the Prophet (SAW), and should protect their reputation.”
The council also called on the government to
release the White Paper on the crisis saying, “This will go a long way in
curbing the menace of Shi’a in our society.”
The council also condemned the Christian
Association of Nigeria for a recent call allegedly made by its northern branch
to its members to defend themselves against assault from Muslims.
Rigachikun described as un-Christian calls by
Christian leaders to urge their members to carry arms against their Muslim
counterparts in the face of any crisis.
According to him, “It’s unbecoming of a body of
clergymen to make such unguarded call.”
“The council condemned in strongest terms the call
by the Christian Association of Nigeria to its members to take up arms to
protect themselves,” he said.
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