By Bukola Hameed
A coalition of 40 Islamic organisations under the Zamfara State Muslims League has criticised what it describes as growing external pressure from the United States on issues relating to Shari’ah and religious regulation in northern Nigeria.
In a statement issued at the weekend, the group accused the American Government of “meddling” in Nigeria’s internal affairs, alleging that recent comments and policy positions from Washington suggest an attempt to influence domestic religious frameworks.
The organisations referenced earlier remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had raised concerns about attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and warned of possible sanctions.
The coalition also reacted to a recent engagement in the U.S., led by Dr Ebenezer Obadare of the Council on Foreign Relations, during which some Nigerians allegedly urged American lawmakers to pressure the Nigerian Government into prevailing on northern states to abolish Shari’ah law and the Hisbah religious enforcement bodies.
The Zamfara Muslims League described the request as “misguided”, insisting that Shari’ah has constitutional recognition as part of Nigeria’s plural legal system, which also accommodates common law and customary law. It clarified that Shari’ah applies only to Muslims and is not imposed on non-Muslims. According to the coalition, matters relating to Shari’ah and related institutions fall within the legislative powers of state assemblies, not the Federal Government.
The group further argued that blasphemy laws enacted in some northern states were designed to maintain public order, while stressing that the Hisbah, where operational, functions as a non-armed moral policing institution and should not be associated with security challenges in the region.
The Muslim organisations also called on President Bola Tinubu, federal lawmakers, governors and traditional rulers to resist what they termed “external pressure” on Shari’ah-related matters. They urged Muslim political representatives to ensure that the constitutional rights of adherents are protected.
While reiterating their support for the continued operation of Shari’ah in the 12 northern states where it is practised, the coalition maintained that decisions affecting the system must remain within Nigeria’s sovereign democratic structures.