By Salifu Usman
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has called on the Federal Government and security agencies to take urgent steps to halt what it described as persistent attacks, marginalisation and negative profiling of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria, warning that continued inaction could threaten national peace and stability.
In a statement signed by its Public Affairs Officer, Abbas Jimoh, on behalf of the President-General of the Council, Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, the NSCIA said it remained committed to peace, national unity and religious harmony despite what it termed “unwarranted provocation” against Muslims.
The Council stressed that while Muslims had continued to exercise restraint in the face of perceived discrimination, such patience should not be mistaken for weakness.
“Restraint is not cowardice. But there is always a limit to endurance,” the statement warned.
The NSCIA accused some individuals and organisations of deliberately portraying Muslims as oppressors despite what it described as their marginalisation in public life. It also alleged that certain foreign interests were exploiting religious divisions in an attempt to create confusion and destabilise Nigeria.
The Council criticised comments made by a former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ayo Oritsejafor, during a recent television programme, describing the remarks as reckless, baseless and capable of inflaming religious tensions.
According to the NSCIA, similar comments from a Muslim leader would likely have attracted swift intervention from law enforcement agencies, adding that regulatory authorities should apply the law fairly irrespective of religious affiliation.
The apex Islamic body also faulted claims linking Muslims and Fulani communities to a recent kidnapping in Oyo State, arguing that the identities of those arrested did not support such allegations.
The Council equally condemned the killing of the Benue State chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ardo Risku Muhammad, and his associate, Yakubu Isah, after what it described as a peace meeting in Otukpo Local Government Area of the State, calling for a thorough investigation into the incident.
The NSCIA also expressed concern over what it described as the under-representation of Muslims in public appointments, arguing that the replacement of Muslim polical officeholders with non-Muslims reflected a pattern of exclusion.
While reaffirming its appeal for Muslims to remain peaceful and law-abiding, the Council urged the Federal Government to ensure that those responsible for violent crimes in Kaduna State and Benue State were arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
It further called for a transparent investigation into allegations involving police officers accused of misconduct in separate incidents, including claims surrounding the death of a female Muslim scholar in Kaduna State and the circumstances leading to the killing of the MACBAN chairman.
The NSCIA concluded by urging the government, security agencies and media organisations to take deliberate steps to curb inflammatory rhetoric and protect the rights of all religious groups, warning that unchecked attacks on Islam and Muslims could undermine national peace and cohesion.
