The Muslim Rights
Concern, MURIC, has accused the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, of
selfishness and warned it to stop poke-nosing into the affairs of Muslims in
the country.
The group was responding to comments by the
secretary-general of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Musa Asake, who
accused the Sultan of Sokoto, the spiritual leader of all
Muslims in Nigeria,
of leading a delegation of Muslims to President Jonathan on Wednesday, 26
March, attempting to polarise the country along religious lines.
In an interview with Punch newspaper, Saturday, Mr. Asake
condemned a protest by the Muslim leaders, which, he said, was a plot to
frustrate the ongoing National Conference.
"The Jama'atu Nasril Islam, JNI, had a press
conference where they said Christians are 52 per cent at the conference;
meanwhile, we are just 40 per cent of the country's population. I responded
immediately. I don't understand what the Sultan is up to. Is the conference on
religious basis? We are going to respond because they are trying to divide this
country and create a big problem. Let the whole world know that the Sultan and
his people are trying to make sure that this national conference does not take
place.
"They kicked against it and they did not succeed.
Now, they are creating a problem for the country and I don't know whether the
president is listening to them or not. Whatever it is, this is not a religious
matter; this is a Nigerian matter," he said.
In a statement by its director, Ishaq Akintola, on Sunday,
MURIC said it found it necessary to put the records straight "for those
who are prepared to face facts, not sentiments."
The organisation said based on the list of delegates at
the conference there were only four Muslims among the 15 delegates approved for
North Central (including Kwara, Niger, and Kogi), only one Muslim among the 15
delegates from the South-West, only two Muslims out of six retired police
officers, only one Muslim out of six retired military and security personnel
and, only six Muslims out of 20 delegates picked by the Federal Government.
According to MURIC: "These facts are incontrovertible
and the Sultan put them before President Goodluck Jonathan. The delegates are
there and anybody can do the counting. So what is CAN's problem? Instead of
throwing stones or inciting his followers against the Federal Government, the
Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar III, CFR, mni, in his
characteristic way of dealing with matters, persuaded Muslims to be patient and
told them that the matter would be looked into."
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