“We, the indigenous Muslims of Yorubaland wish to state categorically that we requested for Shari’a as part of our lives , we dissociate ourselves from those calling against it and we are very ready to defend this position with every legal means.”
REJOINDER TO A PURPORTED LETTER WRITTEN BY IGBIMO APAPO YORUBA LAGBAYE REJECTING ESTABLISHMENT OF SHARIA PANEL/COURTS IN YORUBALAND
The Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria, South West zone takes exception to the position of a faceless group in the name of Igbimo Apapo Yoruba Lagbaye and totally rejects their position to speak for Yoruba Muslims.
We are Yoruba by birth and by all shades of ancestral origin. This group is not known to us since we have existed as Yorubas. Our Ancestors did not prophesied to us about their emergence neither did we have anything to do with them since Nigeria’s independence. We do not know them, we unequivocally dissociate ourselves from and whatever position they stood for. The organization to us, is a creation of a business center for profit making or causing mischief.
*YORUBA MUSLIM PEOPLE*
We met our grandfather practising islam which they accepted not by sword but by total submission to the will of God while seeing Islam as a total way of life rejecting the concept of plural God but staying glued to their mundane culture. They never denied their identity as Yoruba abinitio except what stood in contradiction to their faith. They have a history of contribution to the development of the empire.
*SECULARISM AND YORUBA EMPIRE*
Attaching secularism to the Yoruba empire is suggestive of the lack of mastery and understanding of the cultural history of people. It is dangerous when ignoramus are leading a struggle.
History has affirmed yorubas has never been secular . We have religions with each adherent with different gods. Leadership is selected and determined in the pasts by ifa priest and/ in consultation with an islamic religious leader.
Some of our forefathers accepted ISLAM around the 15th century and Islam has become the dominant religion across Yorubaland since 16th century to the extent that Kings palaces and markets are built next to central mosque of major Yoruba towns. Most Yoruba’s have aligned with Islamic morality and way of life with the exception of few who hold on to idolatry before the 18th century when colonials brought Christianity to Yorubaland.
Christianity that was introduced to Yorubaland in the 18th century was an addendum to the 3 Cs which was recommended by William Wilberforce and his team as a replacement to inhuman triangular slave trade that ravages African for more than 300 years .
It is an established fact that Islam had existed in Africa and especially YORUBA land more than 200 years before the first Christian missionary set foot on the soil of Nigeria.
For example the first mosque was built in Oyo in the late 15th century.
The islam accepted by the Yorubas was accepted with the shari’ah. hence the statement. *Agbesin ma gba òfin ( shariah) ota Olohun ni….*( Accepting Islam without it’s shariah (rules) is an enemy of God. Scholarly perusal of Yoruba vocabulary will introduce you to the deepness of interactions of the race with Islam. Examples are: when someone commits an offence or they want to discipline a child who committed an immortal act they say bring him, ka da Sharia fun un’.
Some of the Arabic words entered Yoruba language today because of the existence of Islam and Yoruba language. Onion ( Alubosa -Al basal), Alafia-Al aafiyah, Al Barik-Alubarika, Al Kalamu- Arikalamu. (Afi Kalamu-damolekun arise kondu kondu, the one who can use Biro to discipline a transgressor child) and so on.
It’s unfortunate and worrisome to note that this group of people were upset at the mention of Shariah in Yorubaland. We did not see them kicking when the Christian ‘law’ took over the entire public life of Yoruba life eroding our cultural existence instead of islamic law which preaches inclusiveness once it does not involve idolatry.
Forcing the culture of the West and Christians on Muslims in the name of secularism is hereby rejected by the Yoruba Muslims and the era of forceful conversion using Western education is gone forever in Yorubaland. Muslim children in the pasts were beaten and sent home for not having a “Song of praise”, some were forced to take Bible knowledge against their wishes. Some have their Rashid changed to Richard , Amusa changed tó Meredith.
*Ref: History of Education Bab Fafunwa*. They forced and lured a sizable mumber of muslim children to Christianity through education, health assistance or Charity.
The Muslims in South West were tolerant to a fault and that was the reason Christianity entered them without any restrictions. We think why this set of people claiming to represent Yoruba did not see the problem with Christianity taking over our life in the seeming amalgamation of paganism and Christianity as introduced by Mojola Agbebi. Islam is actually not like Christianity that can metamorphose into a hybrid faith dinning with traditionalists as does by African Churches. The Muslims doing that semblance knew they were on their own and could not defend it with their Lord.
Shariah is not a new thing . It’s part of the life of Muslims, It’s just being institutionalised and enacting a part of the constitution already in existence in other part of Nigeria where Muslims domicile. It’s a gross attempt to isolate the Muslims to claim that living with shariah will disorientate the nation that has live with it and still living with shariah.
It’s sad that our education as people that should teach a great lesson of diversity and inclusion has been either jettisoned or selectively applied or deploy for mischief.
The way to go is to fully accept that Islam has come to stay in Yoruba land, the Muslims have been part of the builders of this land with their sweat, blood and wealth. Check history and see how Muslims have deployed their wealth to develop the land and empire ( Case study of Offa Grammar School)
*OYO EMPIRE RESISTING SHARI’A*
This was a lie from the pit of hell. Shariah was established first in Oyo Empire as early as 15th century in places like Iwo and Ede to adjudicate exclusively the affairs of the Muslims regarding aspects of life not captured by any mundane law. It is a bad omen for people of ignorance to lead the people in their history.
*“Where were these people who are now opposing ordinary Shari’ah panel in Yorubaland when Oba Abibu Olagunju of Ede employed Qadi Sindiku to operate the Shari’ah court at Agbeni area of Ede town? The court functioned at Agbeni up till 1913. It was moved to Agbongbon area of the town in 1914.*
“Where were they when Oba Momodu Lamuye who died in 1906 established a Shari’ah court in Iwo? Were they born yet when Oba Aliyu Oyewole of Ikirun employed Mallam Bako as the qadi (judge) from 1910? This is history. This is our past, the past of Shari’ah. We will not allow anyone to cut us away from our past. Today was born from the wombs of yesterday.
We believe that the Governor of Oyo State must have taken the necessary briefing from his Attorney General to the effect that Sharia Court establishment is guaranteed by the constitution. This is in light of the Governor’s assertion that he is prepared to uphold the constitution he has sworn to defend.
*For avoidance of any doubt section 275 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended provide that: There shall be for any state that requires it the Shari’ah Court of Appeal for that state.*
*For further reference see section 277, 278 and 279 of the same constitution.*
*WHY WERE YOU ALARMED ?*
There was no record of islam or Shari’a being the reason for the execution or annihilation of any mortal since the history of its existence in Yoruba land in fact Islam mitigates against human sacrifice and cannibalism. Islam reduced the traditional inhumanity to man, killing of human beings to serve the gods of the land. Islam has only brought us honour and sense of dutifulness in Yoruba land. Islam has helped us to place value on our women.
Islam has brought sanity to our mundane and spiritual lives.
In fact, the re-emergence of isese and renewal of traditional religion is responsible for ritual killings and several maiming of human beings we are experiencing these days. The government should be interested in this area and carry out intelligence checks of this very organizations.
*We remain Muslim and we are not part of any ideology of sacrificing humans to appease their gods. We are Muslims and Yoruba adage goes: won kìí le eniyan koja ilè baba re*
*Ki ẹnikẹni má pé wa ni alejo mọ. Awa yin lani ilu.*
*OUR PLEA AND POSITION*
We strongly appeal to this group to live and let us live as Muslims by the principle of our religion within the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as obtainable in other parts of Nigeria.
We, the indigenous Muslims of Yorubaland wish to state categorically that we requested for Shari’a as part of our lives , we dissociate ourselves from those calling against it and we are very ready to defend this position with every legal means.
It’s our sincere belief that Shari’a is constitutional, its for our common good and complimentary to our lives as muslims.
Shari’a has never and will never stand in the way of anyone outside the fold of islam and even Muslims that chose to live outside it.
*Signed: Sheikh AbdurRasheed Hadiyatullahi President General Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria
*Prof Olaiya Abideen
Zonal Secretary (South West)
Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria South West
*Mallam Abdulganiy Sahid Olaide Ezra
Zonal Publicity Secretary South West)
Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria South West