Mosque demolition: Afenifere is pathologically bias - MURIC

 

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused Afenifere, a socio-cultural group, of harbouring bias against Yoruba Muslims. 

The assertion was made yesterday by the Executive Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, in a statement released to the press.

The statement followed comments by Afenifere’s Ekiti State chairman, Mr. Gabriel Alonge, who defended Senate leader, Opeyemi Bamidele regarding the demolition of the Sabo Central Mosque in Aramoko, Ekiti State. 

Alonge claimed that, "MURIC's allegations were incendiary" and urged the Department of State Security (DSS) to monitor MURIC's activities.

In response, Akintola stated that Afenifere's remarks were misleading and reflected a "pathological bias" against Yoruba Muslims. 

He emphasised that, "Yoruba Muslims are legitimate members of the Yoruba community deserving of protection," a duty Afenifere has seemingly neglected.

Akintola pointed out that Bamidele, who oversees the constituency project linked to the mosque demolition, could not have been unaware that the project would impact the mosque, which had long been established on the site. 

He questioned the oversight during the project’s planning, asking, "Were there no architectural drawings or site visits by Bamidele or his aides?"

He urged Afenifere to ''cease defending the demolition and to engage in dialogue with local Muslim communities."

Akintola criticised Afenifere for appearing to take sides in a religious matter, suggesting that neutrality would have served the organisation better. 

He argued that Afenifere's actions revealed a vested interest and an anti-Muslim sentiment, especially as the demolition of mosques in Ekiti has been an ongoing issue dating back to the administration of Ayodele Fayose in 2005.

He lamented that, "the continued destruction of mosques raises serious concerns about the future of Islam in the region," questioning how Muslims can worship freely amid such systematic demolitions.

MURIC also highlighted Afenifere's silence on the broader issues facing Yoruba Muslims, including political marginalisation and threats from youths against Muslim leaders. 

Akintola dismissed Afenifere's claims of incitement from MURIC, stating that their original statement called for calm and peace among Muslims.

He refuted Afenifere's assertion that the Muslim community in Aramoko was content with the demolition, asserting that local Muslims had expressed their concerns directly to MURIC.