Abuja, Nigeria - Abuja Muslim Community has expressed its support to the Christian Association of Nigerian (CAN)’s stand, that religion and ethnicity be included as part of information in census data form in the census exercise coming up later this year.
It also dismissed the notion that Nigeria is a secular state, contrary to what was contained in the Constitution.
The body, at a press conference addressed by Deputy Imam of Abuja National Mosque, Sheik Abubakar Sadiq, acknowledged the importance of the exercise, and advised government to get a faith-based organisation involved in the enlightenment programme, and conduct of the census for more effective results.
The group, which made its position known on a wide range of issues, urged government to discountenance the recent U.S. Intelligence report, warning that Nigeria will experience chaos and possibly break up in 15 years, saying “it is an attempt to destabilise Nigeria’s corporate existence.”
Abuja Muslims also warned other Muslims to be wary of U.S.’s administration, which has labelled all Muslims as terrorists, adding, “this we see as mischievous and a cheap blackmail,” because Islam is a religion of peace, and has nothing to do with terrorism under any guise, adding that “it strongly identify with the struggle by Muslims against injustice and oppression all over the world.”
On secularism, Sadiq argued that apart from Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution, and the opening sentence of the constitution, which debuts the idea of secularism, the sections of oaths in the Constitution contradicts the secularity assertion.
“Section 17(3) (b) on social objectives is contradicted by secularism, as it has made clear that government can fund education, which includes intellectual and moral training of Muslims and Christians, through their religion.
“Section 38 asserts the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, which also contradicts secularism.
“The whole of chapter VII of Judicature Part I and II, covering Section 230 to 239 of the 1999 Constitution, contradicts secularism, as government funds courts which apply common law, the Islamic law and customary law, all in line with the doctrines of Christianity, Islam and local custom. A state that funds all these requirements cannot be said to be secular,” he said.