Banning IMN is like banning Islam, Shi’ites tell el-Rufai

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as the Shi’ia sect,says the ban on its movement by the Kaduna state government shows that it is intolerant of religions in the minority.

Likening the ban to outlawing the practice of Islam, Ibrahim Musa, spokesman of the group, said if it was left unchallenged it would lead to the ban of other religions that are in the minority.

“This ban order is nothing but the portrayal of Kaduna state government as intolerant of religious minorities, and if allowed to stand unchallenged by the good people of Kaduna state, it will lead to a ban on other religious minorities, especially Christians and the Muslims following the Sufi order,” he said.

“The Kaduna State Government on Wednesday officially released a Gazette No.21 of 7th October 2016 that has declared the IMN an unlawful society. At the same time governor El-Rufai said his government ‘did not and cannot ban any religion’.

“This two-faced comment of government of Kaduna state is not only ambiguous but indeed incongruent with reason, logic, law and sanity.

“The Islamic Movement is not a society or association or organisation. It is a global concept. Its members are conscious and practising Muslims, who practice Islam the way it ought to.

“That is why all its practices and observance are based on beliefs and practices of Islam. It doesn’t need registering to belong or to practice in as much as Islam need not be registered for anyone to believe it and practice it. That is why the IMN has no hallmarks of associations such as membership register, membership dues, association logo, letterhead officers, motto and all the characteristics of societies.

“That is why banning IMN is akin to banning our faith or stopping us from practising Islamic religion the way we understand it, which KDSG itself admittedly affirmed it has no right to do. To claim otherwise is incongruous.

“Governor El-Rufai went to the extreme in his quest to justify this ambivalent position on the so-called ban. One moment he plays the jury and the next he acts the prosecutor at the same time.”

The IMN said that if the El-Rufai was sincere, he would have prosecuted the army officers who were indicted by the judicial commission of inquiry for allegedly killing 347 of its members and dumping them in mass graves.

“IMN rightly believes governor El-Rufai wants to cover up his complicity in the murder of over a thousand innocent souls in Zaria. We are not distracted by his antics. We are already seeking redress in the court and will pursue the case to its logical conclusion.

“We continue to demand the unconditional release of our illegally detained leader, Sheikh Zakzaky, his wife, and other members of IMN incarcerated in various detention centres. We will continue with our peaceful activities and protests demanding same in spite of provocation and persecution.”