By Folorunso Alagbede, in Abuja
A faith-based civil liberties organization, the Muslim Rights Concern, (MURIC), has advised the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, to be well guided in its criticism of the closure of schools during Ramadan in four Northern states.
MURIC gave the advice in a statement Monday by its Founder/Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, had, through its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, expressed grave concern over the impact of the closure on Christian students and accused the state governments of breaching their rights.
In a swift reaction MURIC specifically enjoined CAN to mind its own business.
The group accused CAN of double standard for encouraging breach of the rights of Muslims who are in the majority in South-Western Nigeria, while pretending to protect Christian children who are an infinitesimal minority in the North.
The statement by MURIC reads, “Four Northern states (Bauchi, Katsina, Kano, and Kebbi) have extended the closure of schools in their states to give Muslim students a stress-free Ramadan period. But the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has criticized the action.
“CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, expressed grave concern over the impact of the closure on Christian students and accused the state governments of breaching their rights.
“MURIC is bewildered by the insistence of CAN on playing the role of a meddlesome interloper in the affairs of Nigerian Muslims. Firstly, Ramadan is a completely Muslim issue. It involves no other faith. CAN should stay out of it.
“Secondly, Muslims are the overwhelming majority in those four states and the state governments.
“A democratic country like Nigeria should not deny the majority Muslims what they wish.
“Furthermore, those four states have given the Muslim majority what they desire most based on the principle of ‘the greatest happiness for the greatest number’.
“CAN may want to learn more about allowing the majority to have its way from Jeremy Bentham’s ‘A Fragment on Government’ (1776) and his ‘Introduction to Morals and Legislation’ (1789).
“Those two books expatiate upon the principle of the greatest happiness for the greatest number. CAN may want to note that Muslim students are ‘the greatest number’ in those four states in this case.
“The phrase, ‘the greatest happiness for the greatest number’, is attributed to Jeremy Bentham, British philosopher, born February 15, 1748 and died June 6, 1832.
“The greatest happiness for the greatest number’ is a principle that states the best action is the one that brings the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people. It is a core tenet of utilitarianism, a philosophy that emphasizes the usefulness of the consequences of actions.
“The extension of schools’ closure by the governors of those states is based on the principle of the greatest happiness for the greatest portion of the populations of those states. Christian students have not been discriminated against in any form whatsoever by that action. So what is CAN’s headache here?
“CAN’s middle name is ‘double standard’. It encourages breach of the rights of Muslims who are in the majority in South Western Nigeria, while it pretends to protect Christian children who are an infinitesimal minority in the North.
“Why can’t we protect all children and condemn all forms of discrimination against them anywhere in Nigeria?
“How have the rights of Christian students been infringed upon in this situation? Did those state governments threaten not to allow them to resume after Ramadan? Were the Christian students asked to come to school everyday during Ramadan to sweep and clean the classrooms?
“What exactly does CAN want? The apex Christian body should stop playing God in the affairs of Muslims”, the Islamic group said.
