Why Shari’ah in Nigeria’s Constitution?

By Femi Abbas

The title of this memo is a question which requires an answer.

Following the recent official lifting of curtain on the amendment of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which makes submission of memoranda on it, by members of the public, legal, some charlatans and bigots, from the South-West of Nigera, started to tag inclusion of Shari’ah in that Constitution as an abomination.

Their argument is that since such words as CHURCH and BIBLE are not mentioned in the Constitution, any mention of the word Shari’ah in that document is a reprobate because it simply amounts to ‘islamization’ of Nigeria.

Such charlatans/bigots base their parochial argument on a fictitious assumption that Nigeria is a secular State.

If we may ask, where is the word SECULAR written in Nigeria’s Constitution? Besides, why is the Bible itself not a reprobate since such words as CHURCH and BIBLE are not mentioned in it?

For the information of those charlatans/ bigots, the call for memoranda from the public, on the proposed amendment to Nigeria’s constitution, is open and not exclusive. Thus, nothing can be more stupid than raising objection to other people’s memoranda instead of submitting theirs to express their wish.

Those who have no law that guides their religion cannot sensibly declare the law by which other people practice their religion as reprobate. Shari’ah is the law that guides Islam and reins the Muslims religiously. Without it (Shari’ah), there is nothing called ISLAM. After all,

Nigeria’s constitution, since independence, has been about 99% Christian and the Muslims have never raised any objection to its implementation because it does not prevent them from practising their own faith.

If anybody now thinks that Nigeria’s Constitution is the means of obliterating Islam in Nigeria and subjecting that religion to Christian law Willy Nilly, such a person or persons can be taking an expensive joke too far.

Islam is the entire life of a Muslim and, its practice does not, in anyway, affect any non- Muslim negatively.

Democracy is not only a game of number but also, that of give and take.
GOD SAVE NIGERIA!