Osun Eid Clash: MURIC warns politicians against desecration of Muslim prayer ground

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has warned politicians in Osun State against desecrating the Muslim prayer ground.

The Executive Director of MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, gave the warning on Thursday in a statement.

The warning came following a clash between Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains over sitting arrangements at Eid prayer ground in Osun State on Wednesday.

The immediate past spokesperson for the Senate, Senator Ajibola Basiru, was at the praying ground early and sat in the front row among other dignitaries, including the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, Chief Khamis Olatunde Badmus.

A chieftain of PDP, Alhaji Muniru Raji, was said to have told Basiru that Governor Ademola Adeleke was on his way to the praying ground and asked him (Basiru) to vacate where he sat for the governor.

Basiru did not yield to Muniru’s directive and this caused confusion at the praying ground as supporters of both parties confronted one another.

MURIC described the incident as a show of shame.

The MURIC boss said the organisation believes that a senator is also a distinguished personality who should not be disgraced at such a public function.

He said that no front rows are reserved for any individual inside mosques because all are equal in Islam as stated in the glorious Qur’an.

He said, “Therefore, there is nothing wrong if both the governor and the senator are on the front row. In fact, there is nothing like entitlement to front row seats in Islam. The president, the governors, senators, etc. may be given the front rows just for security reasons. Neither does Islam entertain imperial mentality inside the mosque or on Muslim prayer ground.

“What happened yesterday (Wednesday) at the Muslim prayer ground in Osogbo was a show of shame. It is also a security lapse because the state security apparel should have foreseen that ugly development and made adequate provision for it. There would not have been a clash if the governor’s protocol and the state’s security apparatus had worked together on the arrangements and taken strategic positions before the arrival of worshippers.

"Governor Adeleke should not have left the prayer ground if he was there to worship Allah, no matter what happened. Adeleke should tell us loud and clear where he belongs. All politicians should drop their political garbs in their party secretariat. They are brothers and sisters once they enter the prayer ground as Muslims, if indeed they truly belong to the Islamic faith.

“Politicians in Osun State should not desecrate the Muslim prayer ground again. They should not use political differences to permeate and consequently rupture the fabrics of the Muslim community,” Akintola said.