IBUKUNOLUWA KING-OKUNEYE
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and other Muslims in public offices to ensure August 9, 2021 is declared as a public holiday.
According to the group, governments at all levels in Nigeria, especially where Muslims are in charge, should recognise and declare every first day of the Islamic calendar as a holiday.
It said Islamic faithful holding public office who failed to promote the holiday, should be ready to face Allah to explain why they abandoned their faith and their fellow Muslims for worldly gains.
This was contained in a statement made available to FirstNews on Wednesday and signed by MURIC’s Founder and Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
He reiterated that Muslims in Nigeria must mark Monday, 9th of August, 2021, as Hijrah Day, the first day of Islamic year.
Frowning that the Federal Government had refused several calls and demands being made by Islamic organisations in the country to declare the day as a public holiday, the Islamic human rights group, said it had decided to increase the rate of the demand this year as the date is approaching.
The statement read, “We are calling on all state governors who are Muslims to identify with this noble, peaceful and divinely rewarding struggle by declaring this coming Monday (9th August, 2021) as Hijrah Day holiday.
“Members of state executives (commissioners, chairmen of agencies, etc) who are Muslims have a duty to bring this to the attention of state governors as a matter of urgency.
“Also, chairmen of local governments who are Muslims should encourage and support Islamic organisations and schools within their jurisdiction to organise events to mark the day.
“On the other hand, Muslims in public offices who fail to promote it will have questions to answer before Allah … because they will have to explain why they abandoned their faith and their fellow Muslims for worldly gains.”