A leading Islamic group in Nigeria has warned
against dragging Islam into politics and ongoing elections campaigns,
cautioning political parties and supporters against the use of religion card in
upcoming elections.
A sponsored advertisement in the Nigeria Television
Authority (NTA) "contained a concocted documentary which embarrassingly
maligns Islam and portrays Nigerian Muslims in bad light," Prof. Ishaq
Oloyede, Secretary-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs,
NSCIA, said in a statement cited by the Vanguard.
He noted that such advertisement, especially on a national
television owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria, "is sending a very
dangerous signal of a seemingly impending religious war to the populace."
Moreover, the council berated the unprofessional move by the
Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, NBC, for its failure to monitor what goes on
the airwaves.
NSCIA argued that airing such adverts, with the current
public utterances of some political and religious leaders in the country,
suggested a “dangerous hidden agenda”.
“To avert any such crisis, therefore, the Nigerian Supreme
Council for Islamic Affairs hereby calls on the Nigerian Broadcasting
Commission, which statutorily regulates the broadcast activities in the
country, to be alert to its duty and ensure that a religious war does not ensue
as a result of dereliction of duty on its part,” Professor Oloyede warned.
The criticism comes as the electoral chairman Attahiru Jega
announced a reschedule of the general election last Saturday night, citing
primarily an advisory by the security agencies that the poll be shifted by at
least six weeks.
The Nigerian general election of 2015 will be the 5th
quadrennial election to be held since the end of military rule in 1999.
Analysts say the vote is too close to call, the most tightly
contested election since decades of military dictatorship ended in 1999.
Ahead of elections, Nigerian Muslim leaders have reiterated
calls for unity and peace during the election race, amid escalating threats
from Boko-Haram militants.
Credit to Islamonline
