REUTER’S FALSE STORY ON POSTPONEMENT OF 2015 POLLS: JEGA MUST TAKE CHARGE

PRESS RELEASE:

REUTER’S FALSE STORY ON POSTPONEMENT OF 2015 POLLS:  JEGA MUST TAKE CHARGE FROM NOW ON

Reuters erroneously reported yesterday that the Nigerian election had been postponed. The misleading report threw panic into both the media world and the Nigerian public. Fortunately, however, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) quickly refuted the story.  

This development is most unfortunate. It shows how easily the Nigerian public can be deceived and how volatile is the issue of the 2015 polls. The misleading Reuters story was credited to an executive of INEC and it would have ignited nationwide unrest but for the timely denial from INEC headquarters. 

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) strongly condemns this irresponsible, despicable  and reckless abuse of information paraphernalia by the international news agency.

We call for an independent probe into the source of the misleading information and the circumstances surrounding its release into the Nigerian information system. We advise INEC to screen its high level officials in order to ensure that fifth columnists are not allowed to throw spanners into the wheels of the 2015 polls.

We appeal to the Nigerian media to ignore information about the 2015 polls emanating from sources other than the chairman of INEC himself, Professor Attahiru Jega. Journalists are strongly advised to cross-check information before using it. We charge INEC Chairman to take full charge of information being released to the public from now on until after the election because Nigerians are very gullible and they are presently experiencing pre-election euphoria. Therefore all information regarding the 2015 polls should be handled with all sense of responsibility and a high sense of patriotism.    

MURIC invites the Federal Government to appreciate the high level of political consciousness of the average Nigerian citizen as at today. It will be a colossal tragedy for anybody to underestimate the passion of Nigerians for their Allah-given and fundamental human rights and the contempt Nigerians now have for those who are attempting to fool them.

The tiny cabal attempting to enact the June 12 abracadabra is therefore advised to desist before they drag Nigeria into another monumental tragedy. We remind those in position of authority that 2015 is different from 1993. Too many groups are militarized at present and it requires only one wrong step in the wrong direction for Nigeria to be plunged into a huge conflagration. 

Finally, MURIC appeals to Nigerians, particularly the youth, to remain calm and law abiding. Nigerians should patiently investigate every piece of information. We call for utmost caution and mature analysis of situations. People should not just jump to conclusions. This is the time to control tempers and ignore provocations. Acts of thuggery leading to arson, maiming and killing will only drag this country back into the 60s. We have no other country besides Nigeria.

Credit to Professor Ishaq Akintola, Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)

OBAMA’S CLAIM THAT 99.9% OF MUSLIMS REJECT RADICAL ISLAM

In an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria, President Obama claimed that 99.9% of Muslims reject radical Islam. (H/T Daniel Halper of The Weekly Standard):

But it is absolutely true that I reject a notion that somehow that creates a religious war because the overwhelming majority of Muslims reject that interpretation of Islam. They don't even recognize it as being Islam, and I think that for us to be successful in fighting this scourge, it's very important for us to align ourselves with the 99.9 percent of Muslims who are looking for the same thing we're looking for--order, peace, prosperity.

This is nonsense on stilts. Daniel Pipes has long argued that between 10 to 15% of Muslims subscribe to radical Islam. Pipes uses the term Islamist to describe this 10 to 15%. By this, Pipes means Muslims who want the establishment of an Islamic caliphate which would impose Shariah law. Not all of these Muslims necessarily support terrorism to bring this about, but a large number certainly do. Here is what Pipes wrote about Islamism back in June 1998 more than three years ago before the September 11th attacks and just over a month before the attacks on our embassies in Kenya and Tanzania:

Islamism is an ideology that demands man's complete adherence to the sacred law of Islam and rejects as much as possible outside influence, with some exceptions (such as access to military and medical technology). It is imbued with a deep antagonism towards non-Muslims and has a particular hostility towards the West. It amounts to an effort to turn Islam, a religion and civilization, into an ideology.

The Pew Research Center estimates there are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world comprising 23% of the global population. It won't be long before 1 out of every 4 people in the entire world is Muslim. Let us for argument's sake take the conservative end of Pipes' estimate on the numbers who are Islamists. That's 160 million Muslims who believe Sharia law should rule the world and good many of those 160 million are willing to bring this about by force. That is more than the population of the U.K. and France combined and more than of half the U.S. population. It's a critical mass. Those numbers are simply too large for President Obama to dismiss so casually.

Credit toAaron Goldstein

Anti-Islam group PEGIDA holds first Austria march

PEGIDA, the anti-Islam movement born in Germany, drew hundreds of supporters and counter-demonstrators to the streets of Vienna when it held its first march in neighboring Austria on Monday.

With 1,200 police officers deployed in Austria's capital as a precaution, around 250 marchers carrying Austrian flags and chanting "we are the people" faced off against a like number of protesters shouting "down with PEGIDA".

Ranks of police in riot gear separated the two camps. A police spokesman said there had been no incidents or arrests.

Earlier, thousands of people had marched in a protest against PEGIDA.

The rally followed violent demonstrations on Friday by left-wing activists protesting against an annual ball in Vienna that traditionally draws right-wing figures.

Religious sensibilities are on the rise in Austria. The government has proposed requiring standardized German-language translations of the Koran and prohibiting foreign funding of Muslim organizations on its soil in a draft law aimed in part at tackling militants.

The initiative follows alarm over official estimates that about 170 people from Austria have joined up with Islamist militant forces fighting in the Middle East.

The sudden rise of PEGIDA - "Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West" - in Germany rattled that country's political establishment by staging rallies that brought up to 25,000 onto the streets of Dresden.

But it has fallen into disarray after five of its founding members dropped out to start a rival movement.

Georg Immanuel Nagel, a 28-year-old philosophy student from Vienna and spokesman for the Austrian offshoot, told newspaper Die Presse he wanted an end to the "appeasement policy" for the roughly half-million Muslims who live in Austria, a traditionally Roman Catholic nation of 8.5 million.

He called for legislation banning "Islamism" so that people promoting Sharia - or Islamic - law could be punished, just as Austria outlaws glorification of Nazism.

Nazi Germany in 1938 annexed Austria, whose 200,000-strong Jewish population was wiped out in the Holocaust.

Heinz Christian Strache, leader of the far-right opposition Freedom Party that is neck and neck in opinion polls with the centrist coalition parties, has expressed support for PEGIDA, which he has called a "serious civil rights movement".

Credit to Michael Shields

PRESS CONFERENCE ON PROVOCATIVE STATEMENTS AND HATE SPEECHES MADE BY PASTOR BOSUN EMMANUEL AND BISHOP DAVID OYEDEPO HELD AT THE NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS OF THE MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC) ON TUESDAY 3RD FEBRUARY, 2015

Distinguished Leaders of Islamic organizations,

Brothers and Sisters in Islam,

Gentlemen of the Press,

As-Salaam Alaykunm wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuhu.

We welcome you to this press briefing. The reason for inviting you today is the ongoing attempt to  cause social commotion in our dear country, Nigeria, by whipping up religious sentiment using baseless, unfounded and unreliable allegations.

These despicable and disgraceful attempts are being championed by two Christian clerics, namely, Pastor Bosun Emmanuel and Bishop David Oyedepo.

Pastor Bosun Emmanuel belongs to the Redeemed Christian Church of God and he is a member of the executive of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). He represented CAN at the just concluded National Conference.

In a recorded and highly provocative message, Pastor Bosun Emmanuel made the following dangerous claims and Satanic assertions:

1. That Muslims and Islam are a common enemy that needed to be defeated;

2. That Muslims are killing Christians indiscriminately and destroying churches (he showed pictures and video clips);

3. that the dreaded Boko Haram is an Islamic agenda aimed at wiping out the Christians in Nigeria.

4. That the agenda to Islamise Nigeria was formulated at an OIC conference that held in Abuja in 1989;

5. That Babangida who was the President of Nigeria at the time gave Muslims $21 billion to actualize the plan;

6. that Nigerian Christians would be Islamised the same way the Christians of Turkey were Islamised through force;

7. that APC is an Islamic agenda set up to Islamize Nigeria and that all the National leaders of APC are Muslims;

8. that Nigerian Christians should not use their hands to destroy themselves by voting into power the party that is dedicated to Islamic agenda and finally

9. that APC is the Nigerian version of the Islamic Brotherhood.

Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel) was more blunt in his hate speech and death-wish for Muslims. He exploded during one of his services inside his church and was quoted as saying:

1. God has anointed me to lead a revolution against Islamic jihadists,

2. Spill the blood of every Islamic jihadist

3. If you catch anyone that looks like them kill him! Kill him and pull out his neck. I will spill his blood on the ground. What nonsense!

4. Must the North continue to rule?

5. If Nigeria waits for the church to rise, Nigeria will disappear as a nation.

6. Lord, if it is Your will to break up Nigeria break it now! WATCH the video

We cannot but wonder how truly Christian are Pastor Bosun Emmanuel and Bishop Oyedepo.

How faithful are they to their holy book? The pulpit is a platform of love and kindness. It is the place for hope when all is lost. How can they use the same pulpit to incite Nigerians against themselves? How can they command the spilling of blood?

The Bible says, ?Love your neighbour and bless those that curse you (Luke 10:27) Forgive, in order to be forgiven, for if you do not forgive those that offend you, neither will your father, which is in heaven, forgive you? (Mathew 6:14).

Romans 12:17-21 warns against seeking vengeance while Mathew 26:52 further warns that those who take to the sword will perish by the sword.

A simple analysis of the above statements from the pulpits of two Christian clerics show that Pastor Bosun Emmanuel has willfully incited Nigerian Christians against their Muslim compatriots. He has also deliberately misled them into believing that Nigerian Muslims had plotted to exterminate the Christians.

Bishop David Oyedepo has also openly encouraged Christians to take the law into their hands and to spill the blood of Muslims. The phrase "anyone that looks like them" in his statement above is the most dangerous. No other interpretation can be more suitable for this phrase than any Muslim you can find.

This is very interesting. Bishop Oyedepo wishes to turn his followers into killers of Muslims. We are not losing the significance of this statement and its implications at a time like this. A pastor who is very close to the Nigerian Head of State, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, is calling on Christians to kill Muslims.

The same pastor has threatened to open the gates of hell for those opposing Jonathan! We wonder if Bishop Oyedepo has the key of the gate of hell in his breast pocket! That will be strange indeed! We thought the cleric should be more interested in the gate of heaven and how many souls he could lead through it.

Bishop Oyedepo exposed his hatred for Northerners when he asked rhetorically, Must the North continue to rule? This is a misleading rhetoric calculated to whip up ethnic sentiment.

It is the last thing we expect from a cleric of his caliber.

Oyedepo has also boasted that Christians are capable of destroying Nigeria, a satanic mission which he has already embarked upon through these unguarded statements. By inviting God to break up Nigeria, Oyedepo has demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt that all he wants now is for Nigeria to break up. He has placed a curse on his country, Break it now! He cried hysterically. This is treasonable. Bishop

Oyedepo has failed to lead his followers responsibly.

We can imagine what would have happened if an Imam or Shaykh had uttered such treacherous statements. He would have been arrested instantly and taken to Abuja. Members of his family would not have had access to him or known his whereabouts for months, if not for years. This has been the fate of some Islamic scholars in Nigeria under President Jonathan.

We have every reason to quarry the role of the Nigerian security agencies in the present dispensation. Why do they employ double standard in the interpretation and application of the rules? Why do they always ignore the agent provocateur among the Christian clerics while innocent Islamic scholars are arrested, dumped and forgotten in underground cells?

In this regard, we call the attention of President Jonathan to this dangerous trend going on under his very nose. The buck stops at Mr. President table. By the Grace of God, Jonathan is the chief security officer in this country, at least as at today. Nigerian Muslims demand an explanation from President Jonathan. The provocative statements have been recorded in audio and video clips and circulated wide. They have gone viral in social media. Mr. President, Sir, are you aware of the provocative statements made by these two Christian clerics If so, what did you do about them?

Nigerian Muslims are not aware that you did anything about them so far. This means we are not safe. Mr. President we are not safe under you. You have failed to assert your authority and prove that you are the chief security officer in this land. How can you allow Christian leaders to threaten Muslims and yet you cannot caution them? Some of the incriminating statements were uttered about three months ago. There is no statement from Aso Rock up till now. It has been business as usual. We reject this lackadaisical approach to administration.

We therefore demand reassurance concerning our safety. We demand the immediate arrest of Pastor Bosun Emmanuel and Bishop David Oyedepo. These two fanatical Christian clerics must be arrested and cautioned. They must sign an undertaking wherein they will pledge to refrain from (and to keep their followers from) any act capable of disrupting law and order.

Anything short of this will mean that President Jonathan himself is the one pushing the war- mongering pastors to vilify and attack Muslims.

We will then hold the president responsible for any religious commotion particularly in the South-West where it has never occurred before. We appeal to the international community to take note of this ugly development in Nigeria where Christian clerics are metamorphosing into religious extremists and inciting their followers to pull out the necks of Muslims and spill their blood.

We call attention to some countries in Asia and Central Africa where Muslims are hounded and killed by mobs. The attendant humanitarian crisis often affect the whole world but worse still, it fuels more acts of terrorism.

MURIC charges other Christian leaders to speak out on this issue. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) should break its silence on the issue. It is our considered opinion that Pastor Bosun Emmanuel and Bishop Oyedepo do not necessarily speak for the generality of Christians nationwide because we know that patriotic and true followers of Jesus are greater in number than the blood-thirsty war-mongers. We jog the conscience of the peaceful Christian majority and ask them to speak out now.

We, the Nigerian Muslims, reiterate our condemnation of terrorism. We denounce attacks on Christians. We have repeatedly condemned Boko Haram and we have insisted that they are a misled group. Terrorists are not Muslims and Muslims are not terrorists. It is also didactic to remember that Muslims and their leaders have also been victims of terrorist attacks. This should be good reason for Christians and Muslims to come together to fight the evil called terrorism.

We love our Christian neighbours and we are prepared to co-exist peacefully together, in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Fate has brought all of us together and there is nothing we can do about it unless we want to cause pandemonium. This country is for all of us and nobody is going to leave for others. Even if we start a Christian-Muslim war today, no group can wipe out the other. It will be a prolonged war of attrition capable of causing prolonged suffering, hunger, disease and a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportion. It is therefore necessary for us to realize that our only hope of survival is by loving and sharing.

We call on all Christian organizations, including CAN and individual Christian dignitaries who are keen on keeping this country united and peaceful to respond to our statement. It is an invitation to love.

We therefore appeal to all Nigerians to sink their differences and continue to tolerate and love one another regardless of religious and ethnic backgrounds. We appeal to Nigerians to ignore the attempt by these two pastors to bring religious sentiment into the 2015 electioneering campaign. All the political parties have Christians and Muslims as members. For instance, the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a Muslim (Alhaji Adamu Muazu) while that of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a Christian (Chief John Oyegun).

MURIC charges Nigerians to vote according to their consciences. Let us vote for integrity, credibility and performance. Let us shun religious bigotry and ethnic jingoism. Let us rescue Nigeria from the jaws of the two zealots: the Christian fanatics and the Muslim extremists.

Finally, we appeal to Muslims nationwide to ignore the provocations of Pastor Bosun Emmanuel and Bishop Oyedepo, to remain peaceful, law-abiding, yet vigilant. Allah bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

Nigeria: JNI Honours America Varsity President

The women' s wing of an Islamic aid group, Jama'atul Nasril Islam (JNI), has honored President Margee Ensign of the American University of Nigeria, Yola in recognition of her selfless service to society.

National Director of JNI, Hajia Hadiza Mohammed presented a certificate of merit and a plaque award to Professor Ensign for her community development and humanitarian activities in Adamawa state, a statement from the university said.

The occasion ended a two-day seminar on "Strengthening the Capacity of Muslim Women Participation for Peace and Development towards Nation Building."

It was organized by JNI in Jimeta, Yola.

President Ensign, an American, was described by the organizers as a native of Bole, AUN's host community which made her an honorary citizen in 2012.

She was recognized for the establishment of Adamawa Peace Initiative (API) "which has become a leading, non-profit organization determined to maintain peace and community development in Northeast Nigeria," the statement said.

She was also cited for her astute management of AUN as an institution committed to partnering with the community to ensure sustainable development and security.

The Deputy Amira (leader) of the JNI women's wing in Adamawa State, Hajiya Sa'adatu Abdullahi, said it was significant for the people in the state and the international community to understand that JNI holds Dr. Ensign in high esteem and appreciates her commitment to the education and empowerment of women in the region.

On receiving the award, President Ensign reflected on the theme of the seminar saying "As you look around the world, peaceful societies are those that have empowered and educated women and encouraged them to be leaders. At this moment in our history, when we are surrounded by violence, it is more important than ever to recognize the key role that women play in society. Women are the foundation of a society."

Dr. Ensign appealed to Muslim leaders to make the world to understand that Islam represents cooperation, compassion, and generosity at these trying times.

Credit to Amina Alhassan

Nigeria: Hijab Is Not Just a Piece of Cloth Used to Cover the Head but a Shield to Cover the Exposed Parts of the Woman Body - VP's Wife

The Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Amina Mohammed Namadi Sambo has attended the World Hijab Day tagged Hijab: My God-Given Right, My Symbol For Good Not Evil organized by Coalition of Nigerian Muslim Women at the National Mosque, Abuja.

Hajiya Amina Sambo in her speech, said, she was delighted and honored to be at the second World Hijab Day in Nigeria. She explained that the hijab is not just a piece of cloth used to cover the head but a shield to cover the exposed parts of the woman body. It's to protect the women from indecent men and it constitutes the morals of Islam. She supported her words with a quote from the Glorious Qur'an, chapter 33 verse 59 where Allah told Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) thus; "O Prophet, enjoin your wives and your daughters and the believing women to draw a part of their outer coverings around them. It is likelier that they will be recognized and not molested". Thus, wearing of hijab by Muslim women is not a choice but submission to the injunction of Almighty Allah.

She further explained that, the hijab is an act of worship and obedience, an act of honour and dignity, an act of belief and faith and an act of purity and wisdom of Allah that send a signal of modesty to the men that the person wearing the hijab is not just a Muslim woman but a dignified person, especially this critical time when women tends to go nude all inthe name of fashion. She urged the Muslim women especially the young ones to wear the hijab with the fear of Allah.

Hajiya Amina commended the organizers of the program for making it happen and that she would love to see the same go round other States in the country. She then advised mothers to be conscious of their children and encourage them to tread in the way of God and pray for peace and harmony in Nigeria.

Credit to Abdullateef Salau