Azeez Ridwan, Osun
The leadership of Ta’awunu Human Rights Initiatives, THURIST, recently met with the newly installed President of the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria, Sheikh Abdurrasheed Hadiyattullah in his residence at Shariah College Oke Afo Iwo, Osun State.
At the meeting which had in attendance the Director General of the Ta’awunu Human Rights Initiative, Barrister Sulaymon A. Tadese tabled before his eminence the need for the establishment of a Shariah Court in Southern Nigeria, especially in the Southwest which has a larger Muslim Population.
“The need for a Shariah Court in the Southwest is very paramount at this moment, as states like Osun, Oyo, Lagos have Muslim majority. Even Ekiti and Ondo states have a reasonable percentage of Muslim Population”, he said.
He added that “the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended provided that a shariah court could be established whenever the Muslim faithful demanded for it and the fact that only adherence of the Islamic faith will be subjected to it as a personal law is enough to avail the establishment”.
In his response, Sheikh Hadiyyatullah who had warmly received delegates of THURIST said the Forum of Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria is aware of this and will equally look into it.
“Same had been brought to my desk and we are looking into it and the fact that you have taken upon yourselves the work of great men who had dared injustice in all ramification is commendable”
He also remarked that he cherished the great work of this Human Rights Group and that he was ready to work with them.
The Director General, Ta’awunu Human Rights Initiative (THURIST) who had in his entourage Barr. Ismail A. Kamorudeen, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Human Rights Group also expressed dissatisfaction on frequent harassment of Muslim Students in some institutions of higher learning on the Use of Hijab.