The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an organization focused on Islamic human rights, has urged the National Assembly to amend the Constitution. They propose including provisions for Sharia Courts in the Southwest and officially recognizing Friday as a public holiday to accommodate Muslim religious practices.
The request was made at the South West Zonal Public Hearing for the current constitutional review.
Dr. Jamiu Busari, representing the group's Executive Director Prof. Ishaq Akintola, made a presentation to the Senate Committee on reviewing the 1999 Constitution.
Through his representative, Prof. Akintola highlighted that despite the significant Muslim population in the Southwest, they lack access to Sharia Courts.
Akintola stated, "There is currently no Sharia Court in Southwestern Nigeria, despite Muslims arguably comprising the majority. This situation contradicts the pre-colonial Yoruba experience before British rule."
He recommended setting up Sharia Courts in all the southwestern states, including Edo State, citing their significant Muslim populations.
Akintola additionally suggested that the Constitution require governors to establish Sharia Courts of Appeal, emphasizing that these courts would exclusively address matters concerning Muslims.
"These courts will exclusively address matters pertaining to Muslims, ensuring that non-Muslims remain unaffected," he added.
Alongside judicial reforms, MURIC proposed modifying the official workweek to designate Fridays as public holidays, emphasizing the day's historical importance for Muslims.
He explained, "In the pre-colonial period, Muslims traditionally observed Thursdays and Fridays as their weekends. Today, Nigeria acknowledges Saturday and Sunday as weekends, aligning more with Christian practices."
He connected the present weekend structure to colonial influence, noting that the recognition of Saturday as a full-day holiday emerged at a later stage.
He added, "Under General Yakubu Gowon's regime, Saturday was subsequently designated as a full day off to accommodate the beliefs of Seventh-Day Adventists."
Akintola contended that excluding Friday from the weekend does not demonstrate religious fairness.
He stated, "We insist that Friday be recognized as a weekend day for Muslims."
He highlighted that out of Nigeria’s eight national holidays, only three are designated for Muslims, whereas five accommodate Christian celebrations. The holidays include Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday and Easter Monday for Christians; and Eid-Kabir, Eid Fitr and Maulud for Muslims.
The group also advocated for the Islamic New Year to be officially recognized as a public holiday nationwide, noting that it is already observed in several states.
Another important aspect of MURIC's proposal was the necessity for formal acknowledgment of Islamic marriage certificates.
He added, "Christian marriages conducted in churches or registries are officially recognized nationwide. However, Nikkah marriages are not acknowledged, which creates challenges for Muslim couples in formal situations."
Akintola labeled the situation as discriminatory and called for Islamic marriages to be granted equal legal status.
"This needs to change," he stated, "when one religious group's marriage is officially recognized while another's goes unacknowledged."
In a similar statement, the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) reiterated the demand for including Sharia Courts and suggested creating courts specifically designed to handle Islamic financial transactions.
In response to the presentations, Deputy Senate President Senator Jubrin Barau, represented by Senate Leader Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, assured that all requests would be reviewed and taken into account in the final report on constitutional amendments.
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