The Executive Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Prof Ishaq Lakin Akintola, has come under heavy criticisms by Islamic scholars condemning his comments over the fued between President Bola Tinubu and his estranged protégé, Rauf Aregbesola.
Akintola had last week said the former Governor of Osun and immediate past Minister of Interior had become an outcast among Muslims in the South-West.
In a statement he released, the MURIC boss had stated, “For the records, Aregbesola will go down in history as the Muslim politician who did so much for the Muslim community when he was in office but went back out of office to undo all the good things he had done. The Muslims will not forget how he liberated them from persecution over the use of hijab and how he gave them the hijrah holiday.
“But they will never forgive him for truncating a Muslim administration and handing it over to a Christian on a platter of gold. Rauf Aregbesola is on his own as far as South-West Muslims are concerned and only he can tell Nigerians why he excommunicated himself from the Ummah.
“We do not doubt that as of today, no responsible Islamic organization in the sub-region will hobnob with Aregbesola. Neither will any conscious and committed Muslim individual associate with him,” he added.
Irked by Akintola’s comment, many leaders of Islamic organisations have called to question, the right of the MURIC boss to speak on behalf of all Muslim organisations.
Founder and the Ameer of the the Jamaat Taawunil Muslimeen, Imam Daood, Imran Molasan, in a viral video, condemned Akintola, saying his intervention has been biased.
Saying that Akintola did not speak on behalf of Muslims, he accused the MURIC boss of pitching his tent with one of the parties in the controversy.
“It’s sad that Akintola knows people like us and instead of him to make inquiries so as to make informed intervention, he spoke from a position of ignorance. We are here in Osun and we are in a better position to know what happened,”
He said his organisation did all it could to mediate between Aregbesola and former Governor Gboyega Oyetola but that the efforts were frustrated.
He said the role an acclaimed Islamic scholar should have played is to mediate and not to further fuel the crisis.
Also, the Osun State Muslim Community in its reaction to Akintola, expressed displeasure saying there is no doubt about the status of Aregbesola as a true Muslim.
“We affirm that the feud between former Governors of Osun State, Ogbeni Abdul Rauf Aregbesola and Alhaj Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola is being addressed at the appropriate higher levels and that should be very much appreciated and supported.
“We appreciate MURIC’s effort and sincerity in advocating for social justice in Nigeria. However, we would advise that the source of any information to be disseminated should be carefully verified from appropriate sources and organizations on ground to always prevent such embarrassment in the future.
In another reaction, the Khalimul Muslimeena of Oyo Kingdom, Sheik Daud Tijani Igi-Ogun, berated Akintola wondering why an organisation like MURIC would take sides and casting aspersions on personalities without taking steps to either resolve the matter.
He said MURIC is expected to be neutral on issues of politics especially where there are disagreements.
Igi-Ogun cautioned Muslim organisations and religious leaders to be objective and follow prescribed injunctions in the holy books before dabbling into issues.
He said failure to do that could make any cleric to incur the wrath of God.
He said Akintola’s recent statement on the feud between Aregbsola and President Bola Tinubu shows how partisan his organisation is on the matter, stating that in line with practice, MURIC is not even in the right position to comment on such matters.
He said: “Before one can be called an alfa or scholar, there are many things involved. Firstly, he must have Islamic knowledge. Secondly, he must be a good example. Thirdly, he must be courageous. Fourthly, he must be one who doesn’t eat anyhow. And lastly, he must be truthful.
“God makes it mandatory for all leaders of Islam that they must not participate in partisan politics. And before you can talk about Islam, you must not participate in partisan politics. But the viral clip we saw from Muric today shows he’s engaging in partisan politics.
“As Muslims, we must play a vital role in conflict resolution. Therefore, in the conflict between Asiwaju and Aregbesola, the TMC and MSSN all over Nigeria played a vital role in ensuring that peace reigns once again between the two because they both need our prayers.
“We met with Alhaji Muhydeen Bello to help us in resolving the issue. We went to El-Rufai, and even in Osun State, we took five steps. We met with the Ooni and the Alafin, and many people to ensure that peace reigns, and we are still working on it.
“So, for MURIC to condemn one person in the newspapers shows they are just looking for what to eat. If someone listens to what MURIC is saying, it shows he is a fanatic, and he can also be referred to as a mere journalist. Therefore, he can’t be referred to as a scholar.”
The Chief Imam of University of Abuja, Prof Taofeek Abdul Azeez, in his reaction said there was nothing strange or new in the song rendered by Aregbesola during the reception held for him in Osun.
He said the “ewe orijin” song was the same lyric by popular Fuji act, Wasiu Ayinde, when President Bola Tinubu, as the candidate of the All Progressive Congress earlier this year, took his campaigns to Osun.
The scholar said MURIC could not have been involved in what he called high-level negotiations that deployed all resources from Islamic groups in favour of Tinubu for his election adding that groups such as MURIC ought to be careful of dabbling in political feuds.