Withdraw Your Bill Or Expect Another Religious Crisis In Kaduna, CAN Tells El-Rufai

The CAN branch, in a statement through its Chairman, Rev. Abua Midauda Gadzama said that the issue, if not properly handled could result to a religious crisis similar to the sharia of year 2000, where lives and properties were lost and destroyed.

CAN, while lamenting the Sharia 2000 crisis, said its escalation was as a result of the then government’s refusal to listen to the voice of the people.

“If that happens, God will hold us responsible,” Rev. Gadzama said.

CAN said categorically that El-Rufai’s religious bill was a threat and would infringe the peaceful co- existence of both Christians and Muslims in the state.

“Another critical aspect of the bill is the vesting of summary jurisdiction to try violators to Sharia and Customary Courts but failed to specifically state who is subject to these Courts.

“We can logically infer that Muslims are the ones subjected to Sharia Courts, but not so to Christians being subjected to Customary Courts.

“Therefore, it is indefensible for the Kaduna State Government to seek to subject Christians to jurisdiction of Customary Court.

“Most various ethno religious violence crises that took place in the past years are usually orchestrated by bigoted fellows who believe that their religion has been defamed or blasphemed and they have a duty to fight, maim, kill and destroy all in the name of defending their religion. Upon all this, no one have been prosecuted and convicted since the promulgation of the 1984 Edict,” CAN lamented.

The religious body further rejected the representative of CAN, JNI, Police, SSS, Head of Service among others that would form the ministerial body constituted by the governor to help in regulating religious activities in the state.

“Kaduna State Government should immediately retract the provocative and unconstitutional expedition by withdrawing the bill,” CAN said.