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January 1 is Christian holiday, declare Muharram 1st holiday for Muslims – MURIC tells govt

Published

3 years ago

January 2, 2023

MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola

MURIC Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), an Islamic rights advocacy group, has urged the Nigerian government to declare the first day of Muharram as a public holiday, as it does every January 1.

This is contained in a New Year Message released by Professor Ishaq Akintola, the director of the group on Sunday.

According to the group, January 1 (New Year’s Day) holiday is a creation of a “Christian colonial government designed to dignify and cushion the pomp and pageantry of Christmas”. As a result, it contends that only the recognition of the first day of the Islamic new year can restore equilibrium and ensure parity, justice, and fairness.

The statement reads, “As usual, the Federal Government (FG) declared today, 1st January, 2023, a public holiday in recognition of the first day of the Christian Gregorian calendar. But because the day fell on a Sunday, FG created an alternative by declaring the following Monday (the day after tomorrow) a public holiday. It must be noted that the same thing happened in 2022 when the date fell on a Saturday.

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“MURIC issued a statement on this gross imbalance on 7th January, 2022. Today’s press release is a slight modification and a follow-up to our statement of 2022. A nation that gives full recognition to the first day of the calendar of one religion but ignores the first day of the other cannot be described as one in which there is equal right and justice.

“Christians are being pampered by the Nigerian government. Christian culture has been imposed on Nigerian Muslims. Christianity is being glamourised and idolised while Islam is being disfigured and demonised.

“The imposition of 1st January holiday without an equal declaration of 1st Muharram as a holiday is an aberration, a misnomer and a gross injustice because Nigerian Muslims have been demanding for the declaration of the first day of the Islamic calendar as a holiday for more than forty-three (43) years to no avail.

“It simply means that FG has been so badly blackmailed by Christian leaders that it has no option but to support the continued Christianisation of Nigeria. The Federal Government (FG) still considers the first day of the Christian calendar sacred while the first day of the Islamic calendar is regarded as unimportant. This is a spillover from colonial days when Muslims were forced to go to work and school even on Salah days. We say never again.

“Never again shall we go back to slavery. Never again shall we accept the religious apartheid slogan of ‘No holidays for Muslim festivals’. MURIC frowns on this lopsided arrangement. It is unfair, unjust and undemocratic. We demand an immediate review of FG’s holiday policy. We demand the declaration of the first day of the Islamic calendar as a holiday before this annual 1st January holiday can be justifiable. The declaration of today as a holiday is an act of injustice.

“Going down the dark lanes of history, it is important to note that the Christian calendar was established by Pope Gregory XIII (1502 – 1585), a Christian emperor, while the Islamic calendar was kicked off on 16th July, 622 C. E. (Christian Era) to mark the historical migration (hijrah) of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Makkah, where the Muslims faced persecution, to Madinah, where they found religious freedom.

“The decree which declared Anno Hijrae was promulgated in 639 C.E. during the reign of Umar bin Khattab, the second orthodox Khalifah (634 – 644). The Islamic calendar also finds divine expression in the Glorious Qur’an 9:36; 2:189; 10:5 and 17:12. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, therefore, the Islamic hijrah calendar is not a product of human machination and manipulation.

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“Being a product of a people hitherto repressed by the pagans of Makkah, the Islamic calendar is both a symbol and an instrument of freedom and liberation. Seen from this angle, all past and present efforts made by Nigerian Muslims for the actualisation of the hijrah holiday is, therefore, part of the struggle for the emancipation of Nigerian Muslims from the clutches of Christian neo-imperialism, oppression and persecution.”

The group said, “To strike a balance, we demand the declaration of 1st Muharram as a holiday for the Muslim Hijrah calendar. In the alternative or if the government thinks this demand is unreasonable, FG should stop declaring 1st January as a holiday. That is when we will know who has been benefitting from it and who has been losing and hurting.

“It is only when those who argue that the 1st January holiday is not a Christian holiday and that it is for all of us to accept the idea of cancelling the holiday that we will know that they are sincere. So let us start getting at the truth by dropping the 1st January holiday.

“The fact that many state governments in Nigeria have been recognising 1st Muharram (Hijrah holiday) for some years now and declaring the day as a public holiday underpins its relevance, significance and the correctness of the hypothesis of its proponents. Many core Northern states declare the 1st Muharram as a holiday every year. So what stops FG from doing the same at the federal level? Is it because Nigeria is a Christian State even though it has not been officially announced?

“Apart from the recognition given to 1st Muharram every year by core Northern states, it is noteworthy that the current Minister of the Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, a Muslim, declared Hijrah holiday in Osun State when he was governor. The late Governor Isiaka Ajimobi who was equally a Muslim, also declared hijrah holiday in Oyo State.

“But his successor, Seyi Makinde who is a Christian, refused to follow suit in his first two years in office until Muslims in the state forced him to do so in his third year (2021). Makinde also declared the 1st Muharram holiday in 2022 to assuage Muslims and get their support for his second term.”

“By the way, the next hijrah holiday will fall on 19th July, 2023, ceteris paribus. That will be the 1st Muharram, 1446. The next administration can still right this wrong. This earth planet will not tumble if it declares 19th July, 2023 Hijrah holiday in recognition of the first day of the Islamic calendar,” the group added.

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Gunmen Storm Gbugbu in Kwara, Residents Flee as Panic Spreads

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According to witnesses, the gunmen stormed the town shortly after 8:00 p.m., opening fire and creating chaos. One resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “The bandits stormed the community immediately after Isa’i, shooting non-stop and throwing residents into panic. Everyone ran indoors or fled into the bush.” As of the time of reporting, there were no official confirmations of casualties or the number of abducted residents.

The attack has heightened fears in Edu, Patigi, Ifelodun, and Oyun local government areas, where residents have reported rising attacks by armed groups in recent weeks. Days earlier, similar raids were reported in Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama LGA, resulting in the killing and abduction of several villagers.

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The spate of attacks comes as the Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, recently launched Joint Task Force Operation Savannah Shield to combat insecurity in Kwara and parts of Niger State. The operation aims to target terrorists, bandits, and criminal gangs responsible for kidnappings, armed raids, and killings in rural communities.

Community leaders and residents have called for urgent intervention by security agencies to rescue any abducted villagers, restore peace, and prevent further escalation of violence. Analysts warn that without sustained military and police engagement, armed attacks could spread further across the state, destabilizing vulnerable communities and hindering local development.

The incident in Gbugbu underscores the ongoing security challenges in Nigeria’s middle belt, where banditry and terrorism continue to disrupt livelihoods, schools, and local economies. Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant, cooperate with security forces, and report suspicious movements in their communities.

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FG to Launch Monthly Revenue Transparency Dashboards to Improve Fiscal Accountability

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FG to Launch Monthly Revenue Transparency Dashboards to Improve Fiscal Accountability

The Federal Government (FG) has announced plans to launch monthly revenue transparency dashboards to enhance fiscal accountability and provide public visibility of government income and expenditure across the three tiers of government. The initiative was disclosed by Dr. Doris Uzoka‑Anite, the Minister of State for Finance and FAAC Chairman, during the recent Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Abuja.

Dr. Uzoka‑Anite explained that the dashboards are necessary due to expected increases in government revenue following recent structural reforms, including a Presidential Executive Order (EO) on oil and gas revenue and expanded tax collections under the new Tax Act. These reforms are expected to significantly boost FAAC distributable funds, improve revenue discipline, and reduce leakages in the management of oil proceeds and tax inflows.

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The minister highlighted that a portion of one-off payments from the EO on oil revenues could be retained in a Stabilisation Fund, released gradually to support macroeconomic stability and prevent excess liquidity from driving inflationary pressures. She further said that production-to-remittance reconciliation reporting and detailed reporting of incremental gains from tax reforms and EO-driven inflows would be implemented to improve fiscal monitoring.

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Troops Repel Coordinated Attacks in Borno, Kill 25 Terrorists, Soldier Dies

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Earlier, terrorists attempted to infiltrate the Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Limankara, but alert troops engaged them in a fierce firefight. Combined ground and air support forced the attackers to retreat, leaving behind casualties and abandoned equipment. No soldiers were injured during this engagement.

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