Blasphemy in Nigeria

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The Federal Republic of Nigeria operates two court systems. Both systems can punish blasphemy (an insult that shows contempt, disrespect or lack of reverence concerning a deity, an object considered sacred or something considered inviolable). The Constitution provides a customary (irreligious) system and a system that incorporates Sharia. The customary system prohibits blasphemy by section 204 of Nigeria's Criminal Code.

Contents

Laws

Section 204 of Nigeria's Criminal Code is entitled "insult to religion". The section states:

Any person who does an act which any class of persons consider as a public insult on their religion, with the intention that they should consider the act such an insult, and any person who does an unlawful act with the knowledge that any class of persons will consider it such an insult, is guilty of a misdemeanour, and is liable to imprisonment for two years. [1]

The prohibition against blasphemy in the Criminal Code and the prohibition recognized by Sharia may not be lawful because Section 38 of the Constitution entitles every Nigerian to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and Section 39 gives every Nigerian the right to freedom of expression. [2]

Twelve out of Nigeria's thirty-six states have Sunni Islam as the dominant religion. In 1999, those states chose to have Sharia courts as well as Customary courts. [3] A Sharia court may treat blasphemy as deserving of several punishments up to, and including, execution. [4] [5]

Vigilantism

The system of law enforcement in Nigeria is beset by a lack of resources, sectarian loyalties, and corruption. As a consequence, vigilantism often goes unpunished. [6] Vigilantism frequently occurs after an accusation of blasphemy. [5]

Selected cases

On 14 July 1999, in the village of Randali in Kebbi State, a Muslim mob beheaded Abdullahi Umaru for alleged blasphemy against Muhammad. [7]

On 20 November 2002, Muslim and Christian mobs rampaged in the cities of Kaduna and Abuja. The rampage began after an article in a daily newspaper, Thisday , suggested that Muhammad would have approved of a Miss World pageant that was taking place in Abuja. Thisday columnist Isioma Daniel wrote that Muhammad would probably have taken a wife from among the contestants. Muslim mobs accused the newspaper of blasphemy, and burned down its office building in Kaduna. Then the mobs attacked churches and properties owned by Christians. Christian mobs confronted the Muslim mobs. Soldiers and police intervened. About two hundred and fifty people died. [8] [9] Daniel fled Nigeria ahead of a fatwa that called upon Muslims to kill her. [10]

In February 2006 in Bauchi State, Florence Chukwu, a Christian teacher, confiscated a copy of a Quran from a pupil who was reading it during an English lesson. The incident provoked rioting by Muslims. The riot killed more than twenty Christians and destroyed two churches. [11]

In February 2006, thousands of Muslim rioters went on rampages in different states. The rioters burned churches, torched Christian shops and homes, and killed Christians. The reason for the violence was ostensibly outrage at the publication in the Danish magazine Jyllands-Posten of cartoons that some Muslims consider blasphemous. [12] [13]

On 21 March 2007, a mob of Muslim students and neighbourhood extremists beat to death Christianah Oluwatoyin Oluwasesin, a mother of two and a teacher at Government Secondary School of Gandu in the city of Gombe. A student complained that Oluwasesin, a Christian, had touched a bag which allegedly contained a Quran, and had thereby defiled the Quran. [14]

On 28 September 2007, a Muslim mob rioted at Tudun Wada in Kano State. The mob killed nine Christians, burned several churches, and destroyed the homes and businesses of some non-Muslims. The Muslims complained that Christian students had drawn a picture of Muhammad. The Christians reported that the violence erupted after they had prevented one of their members from converting to Islam. [3]

In October 2007, a Sharia court convicted Sani Kabili, a Christian and a father of six, of the town of Kano, of blasphemy against Muhammad. The court sentenced Kabili to three years in prison. In February 2009, an appeal court overturned the conviction. [15]

On 4 February 2008, a Muslim mob besieged a police station and set it on fire in the city of Yano in Bauchi State. The police station was the refuge of a Christian woman whom the mob accused of desecrating the Quran. One report said that the woman had spurned an offer of marriage from a Muslim man, and that he and his companions had seized the opportunity to riot. In the ensuing violence, five churches were set alight by Muslims, Christian shops were torched, and policemen's homes were attacked. The police arrested 1000 children. [16] [17]

On 9 February 2008, a Muslim mob rioted in the town of Sumaila in Kano State. The mob acted upon the alleged distribution of a leaflet that allegedly slandered Muhammad. The mob killed a Christian police inspector and two civilians, and wounded twenty others. The mob set fire to vehicles and destroyed the police station. [16]

On 20 April 2008, Muslim rioters in the city of Kano burned the shops and vehicles of Christian merchants after one allegedly disparaged Muhammad. [3]

On 9 August 2008, a Muslim mob in Kano State beat to death a fifty-year-old Muslim man who allegedly blasphemed Muhammad. [18]

On 19 June 2009, a Muslim mob in the town of Sara in Jigawa State burned a police outpost and injured about twelve people over an alleged blasphemy against the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The mob complained that someone was distributing blasphemous pamphlets, and it demanded that the police give up a mad man who had sought safety at the police outpost. [19]

On 10 August 2020, a Kano State Shariah court sentenced two people for the offence of blasphemy against the prophet. Yahaya Sharif (22 years old) was sentenced to death by hanging. He was accused of having blasphemed in his song which he circulated on WhatsApp in March 2020. Following this incident, his family home was burnt down. [20] Omar Farouq (13 years old) was sentenced to 10 years in prison for blasphemy. His lawyer appealed on 7 September, saying that his sentence violated the African Charter of the Rights and Welfare of a Child and the Nigerian constitution. [21]

In April 2022, a Nigerian atheist in Kano received a 24-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to blasphemy charges. [22]

On 12 May 2022, Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a second-year college student, was stoned and her body set on fire by a mob in Sokoto after being accused of blasphemy against the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Yakubu had allegedly made a comment on a WhatsApp group, criticizing the religion-related posts that Muslim classmates discussed in the study group she believed should have been reserved for academic purposes. [23] [24] [25]

On 25 June 2023, Usman Buda of Sokoto was stoned to death by a mob, accusing Buda of blasphemy. [26]

See also

Related Research Articles

Blasphemy refers to an insult that shows contempt, disrespect or lack of reverence concerning a deity, an object considered sacred, or something considered inviolable. Some religions regard blasphemy as a crime, including insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, speaking the "sacred name" in Judaism, and blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is "eternal sin" in Christianity. It was also a crime under English common law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quran desecration</span> Improper treatment of Islams holy book

Quran desecration is the treatment of the Quran in a way that might be considered insulting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blasphemy in Pakistan</span> Pakistani penal code on insulting religion

The Pakistan Penal Code outlaws blasphemy against any recognized religion, with punishments ranging from a fine to the death penalty. According to various human rights organizations, Pakistan's blasphemy laws have been used to persecute religious minorities and settle personal rivalries, frequently against other Muslims, rather than to safeguard religious sensibilities.

Iran is a constitutional, Islamic theocracy. Its official religion is the doctrine of the Twelver Jaafari School. Iran's law against blasphemy derives from Sharia. Blasphemers are usually charged with "spreading corruption on earth", or mofsed-e-filarz, which can also be applied to criminal or political crimes. The law against blasphemy complements laws against criticizing the Islamic regime, insulting Islam, and publishing materials that deviate from Islamic standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islam and blasphemy</span> Overview of Islamic views on blasphemy

In Islam, blasphemy is impious utterance or action concerning God, but is broader than in normal English usage, including not only the mocking or vilifying of attributes of Islam but denying any of the fundamental beliefs of the religion. Examples include denying that the Quran was divinely revealed, the Prophethood of one of the Islamic prophets, insulting an angel, or maintaining God had a son.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharia in Nigeria</span> Islamic law in Nigeria

In Nigeria, Sharia has been instituted as a main body of civil and criminal law in twelve Muslim-majority states since 1999, when then-Zamfara State governor Ahmad Sani Yerima began the push for the institution of Sharia at the state level of government. A "declaration of full Sharia law" was made in the twelve states in that year, and the states created Islamic legal institutions such as a Sharia Commission, and Zakat Commission, and a hisbah, i.e. "a group expected to promote Islamic virtue, whilst discouraging vice". According to some critics, the adoption of Sharia law violates Article 10 of the Nigerian constitution guaranteeing religious freedom.

Blasphemy law in Indonesia is the legislation, presidential decrees, and ministerial directives that prohibit blasphemy in Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blasphemy law in Saudi Arabia</span>

Saudi Arabia's laws are an amalgam of rules from Sharia, royal decrees, royal ordinances, other royal codes and bylaws, fatwas from the Council of Senior Scholars and custom and practice.

The main blasphemy law in Egypt is Article 98(f) of the Egyptian Penal Code. It penalizes: "whoever exploits and uses the religion in advocating and propagating by talk or in writing, or by any other method, extremist thoughts with the aim of instigating sedition and division or disdaining and contempting any of the heavenly religions or the sects belonging thereto, or prejudicing national unity or social peace."

The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria prohibits blasphemy against Islam by using legislation rather than by using Sharia. The penalty for blasphemy may be years of imprisonment as well as a fine. Every Algerian child has an opportunity to learn what blasphemy is because Islam is a compulsory subject in public schools, which are regulated jointly by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Islam is the state religion of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and most Jordanians are Sunni Muslims. The kingdom prevents blasphemy against any religion by education, by laws, and by policies that discourage non-conformity.

The People's Republic of Bangladesh went from being a secular state in 1971 to having Islam as the state religion in 1988. Despite its state religion, Bangladesh uses a secular penal code dating from 1860—the time of the British occupation. The penal code discourages blasphemy by a section that forbids "hurting religious sentiments." Other laws permit the government to confiscate and to ban the publication of blasphemous material. Government officials, police, soldiers, and security forces may have discouraged blasphemy by extrajudicial actions including torture. Schools run by the government have Religious Studies in the curriculum.

Malaysia curbs blasphemy and any insult to religion or to the religious by rigorous control of what people in that country can say or do. Government-funded schools teach young Muslims the principles of Sunni Islam, and instruct young non-Muslims on morals. The government informs the citizenry on proper behavior and attitudes, and ensures that Muslim civil servants take courses in Sunni Islam. The government ensures that the broadcasting and publishing media do not create disharmony or disobedience. If someone blasphemes or otherwise engages in deviant behavior, Malaysia punishes such transgression with Sharia or through legislation such as the Penal Code.

Persecution of Christians in Pakistan has been recorded since the country's independence in 1947. The persecution has taken many forms, including violence, discrimination, and blasphemy laws.

Religious violence in Nigeria refers to Christian-Muslim strife in modern Nigeria, which can be traced back to 1953. Today, religious violence in Nigeria is dominated by the Boko Haram insurgency, which aims to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria. Since the turn of the 21st century, 62,000 Nigerian Christians have been killed by the terrorist group Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen and other groups. The killings have been referred to as a silent genocide.

Capital punishment for offenses is allowed by law in some countries. Such offenses include adultery, apostasy, blasphemy, corruption, drug trafficking, espionage, fraud, homosexuality and sodomy, perjury, prostitution, sorcery and witchcraft, theft, and treason.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apostasy in Islam by country</span>

The situation for apostates from Islam varies markedly between Muslim-minority and Muslim-majority regions. In Muslim-minority countries, "any violence against those who abandon Islam is already illegal". But in some Muslim-majority countries, religious violence is "institutionalised", and "hundreds and thousands of closet apostates" live in fear of violence and are compelled to live lives of "extreme duplicity and mental stress."

On 12 May 2022, Deborah Samuel Yakubu, a second-year Christian college student, was stoned to death by a mob of Muslim students in Sokoto, Nigeria, after being accused of blasphemy against Islam. The muslim suspects arrested were charged with "Criminal conspiracy and incitement of public disturbance", bailable offences with a maximum 2 year jail time. A team of 34 lawyers led by Prof. Mansur Ibrahim defended the suspects who were subsequently acquitted by the court citing non-showing of prosecution lawyers.

In the Jaranwala church arsons, 26 Christian churches in Jaranwala, Punjab, Pakistan were burnt down by acts of arson, and homes belonging to Christian families were looted and destroyed by rioters on August 16, 2023; Bible desecration was committed as well. The attacks were carried out by mobs of Muslims who were enraged by allegations that a Christian man had desecrated the Quran. No deaths were reported. More than a hundred rioters, that included members of the far-right group Tehreek-e-Labbaik, have since been arrested.

References

  1. ↑ "Criminal Code Act". Chapter 77 (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990). Nigeria. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  2. ↑ "Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999". Nigeria. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 "Nigeria: International Religious Freedom Report 2008". U.S. Department of State. 2008. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  4. ↑ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Sharia court in Nigeria sentences singer to death for blasphemy | DW | 11.08.2020". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  5. 1 2 Affairs, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World. "National Laws on Blasphemy: Nigeria". berkleycenter.georgetown.edu. Retrieved 21 May 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ "2008 Human Rights Report: Introduction". U.S. State Department. 25 February 2008. Archived from the original on 26 February 2009. Retrieved 2 August 2009.
  7. ↑ "Nigeria: 'Blasphemy' Issue Surfaces in Legal Tensions". Compass Direct News. 2 May 2008. Archived from the original on 10 May 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  8. ↑ Mbachu, Dulue (22 November 2002). "100 Killed in Nigeria Riots Triggered by Miss World Pageant". The Washington Post. Retrieved 31 July 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  9. ↑ "Nigeria: No justice for Kaduna killings". Issue 120. Pambazuka News. 24 July 2003. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  10. ↑ Jackson, Iain (November 2002). "Nigeria, Redux". After-Words.org. Archived from the original on 17 September 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
  11. ↑ Minchakpu, Obed (29 March 2006). "Teacher Accused of Blasphemy in Nigeria Disappears". Compass Direct News. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  12. ↑ "16 die in cartoon protests in Nigeria". CNN. 19 February 2006. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
  13. ↑ "Nigeria Christians Mourn, 16 Killed in Cartoon Violence". Worthy News. 19 February 2006. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  14. ↑ Minchakpu, Obed (March 2007). "Muslims in Nigeria Club Christian Teacher to Death". Compass Direct News. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  15. ↑ Blake, Daniel (16 February 2009). "Nigerian Christian freed after false imprisonment for 'blasphemy'". Christian Today. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  16. 1 2 "Nigeria Christian Killed in Riot Over Blasphemy; Dozens Injured". BosNewsLife. 13 February 2008. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  17. ↑ "Nigeria: Deadly sectarian riot over alleged blasphemy". Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN). 4 February 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  18. ↑ Ibrahim, Yusha'u A. (11 August 2008). "Nigeria: Mob Kills 50-Year-Old Man for 'Blasphemy'". Daily Trust. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  19. ↑ Ibrahim, Yusha'u A. (20 June 2009). "Nigeria: Blasphemy – Rioters Burn Police Outpost, Injure 12". Daily Trust. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
  20. ↑ "Kano court sentences singer to death for blasphemy". 10 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  21. ↑ Stephanie Busari and Eoin McSweeney (16 September 2020). "Outrage as Nigeria sentences 13-year-old boy to 10 years in prison for blasphemy". CNN. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  22. ↑ Ibrahim, Hamza (6 April 2022). "Nigerian atheist jailed 24 years for blasphemy". Reuters. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  23. ↑ "Female student in Nigeria beaten to death over 'blasphemy'". the Guardian. Reuters. 12 May 2022. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  24. ↑ "Deborah's last words as she pleaded for mercy: What do you hope to achieve with this?". Vanguard News. 14 May 2022. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  25. ↑ "Female student in Nigeria beaten to death over 'blasphemy'". The Guardian. Reuters. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  26. ↑ Abdulsamad, Hassan (14 July 2023). "Latest blasphemy killing highlights Nigeria's problem with religious extremism". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 16 July 2023.

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