A renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Semiu Ajani, has thrown his weight behind the call on the Federal Government to grant Muslims in the country their own New Year day, as contained in the Islamic calendar.
Ajani, who is the Chief Imam of the Islamic Education Foundation Initiative, in an interview with our correspondent, said a recent call by the Director of Muslim Rights Concern, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, on the Federal Government to give Muslims their own January 1 version of holiday, which is Muharram 1, was in order.
This year’s 1st of Muharram is likely to fall on Tuesday, September 11, 2018.
Sheikh Ajani noted that Nigeria was not a theocratic state but a secular one, with Muslims, Christians and traditionalists, stressing that even the traditionalists “are now clamouring for their Ojo Isese (native festival day).”
He said, “Muharram 1 is like January 1. Remember Friday is our own resting day, like Sunday is for Christians but Muslims will still go to work on Fridays despite that our scripture recommends that we should go and pray on Fridays, to seek the face of Allah.
“There is nothing bad in giving Muslims Muharram 1, since 25th and 26th are being given to Christians as Christmas and Boxing Day; and then, January 1, as New Year, being in accordance with the Christian calendar, which is the Christo-Western Gregorian calendar.
“The truth is that we are living in a christainised environment, yet people are still shouting that they want to Islamise Nigeria.”
He noted that conscious Nigerian Muslims, particularly stakeholders in the welfare of Muslims as well as the growth and development of the religion in Nigeria, approached the New Year holiday with mixed feelings, feeling left out and sidelined.
“But the same FG, which recognises this Christian calendar has yet to declare 1st Muharram a public holiday, in recognition of the Islamic calendar, despite several petitions and appeals to it, dating to the 60s. We hereby call on the Federal Government to actually look into the matter and do what is proper,” he urged.
Ajani, however, added that Nigerians enjoyed a total of eight public holidays in a year. These are Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Eid-el-Kabir, Eid-el-Fitr and Maulud Nabiyy.
He pointed out that five of the eight holidays belonged to Christians, while three holidays were for Muslims.
He said, “It is time for the FG to add 1st Muharram to the number of Muslim holidays. This will bring the total number of holidays enjoyed by Muslims to four only, while Christians still continue to enjoy five.
“For Nigerian Muslims to feel a sense of belonging, the FG must close the gap between Christians and Muslims. There must be a conscious effort to fully integrate Muslims into the Nigerian project, otherwise, we may be sitting on a keg of gun powder. Justice is the soul of peace and whoever denies one can never enjoy the other.”
