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Safiya's
Acquittal Displays Humanity Of Sharia Law
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| Safiya
Hussaini
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By
Sulaiman Osho, IOL Nigeria correspondent
NIGERIA,
March 28, (IslamOnline) - The Secretary-General of the Nigerian
Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Dr. Abdul-Lateef
Adegbite has described the discharge and acquittal of Safiya Husaini
by Sokoto state Sharia Court of Appeal from death sentence for
adultery as a manifestation of the human face of Islamic Sharia law.
In
an interview with IslamOnline today, Adegbite stated that the
overturning of the conviction of Safiya for want of evidence and for
the fact that the criminal offence under the Sharia law was
committed before the adoption of Sharia in the state.
The
Muslim leader, who is a legal luminary, noted that the barrage of
criticisms meted against the Sharia law in Nigeria was borne
out" ignorance and hatred for Muslims and Islam by the
non-Muslims."
He
explained that Sharia law was not meant for the non-Muslims since
the common law courts were still operating side-by-side with the
Sharia courts throughout the country.
Dr.
Adgbite stressed that Nigerian Muslims had been cheated for too long
as they were being made to contract their marriages at the mosque
while common law courts are divorcing them. He pointed out that the
jurisdictions of the Sharia law on inheritance, marriage, divorce,
contract, and business transactions, loans and others differ with
those of the common law.
He
then expressed surprise at the ruckus being made against the
adoption of Sharia in twelve states of the northern Nigeria in the
last three years. He stressed that the adoption was just the
fulfillment of the fundamental human rights of the Muslims, which is
lawful and constitutional under the democratic dispensation in the
country.
In
his own reaction, the President of the Supreme Council for Sharia,
Dr. Datti Ahmed stated that the critics of Sharia should allow the
normal course of law to take its course before condemning it as bad.
He
believed that there are provisions for appeal in the Sharia courts
even up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
He
appealed to human right groups and international organizations to
take time to study the law rather than attempting to deny Muslims
their religious right to be administered under the divine law of the
religion which they profess and practice.
Dr.
Ahmed then declared that his Council was making frantic efforts to
ensure the adoption of Sharia law in all the 36 states of the
federation of Nigeria including Abuja, the Federal Capital
Territory.
He
disclosed that the states of Oyo and Kwara in the south-west are
planning to adopt Sharia law for Muslims, noting the States Houses
of Assembly are trying to debate it for the adoption.
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