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By Peter Cunliffe-Jones LAGOS (AFP) -The government of the state of Kaduna, where religious riots left more than 1,000 dead in February, has proposed a compromise plan for Islamic law. The proposals put forward by the governor are an attempt to seek consensus. "What we want is peace in Kaduna state," said Governor Ahmed Makarfi's spokesperson Lukman Musa. In a broadcast on state television and radio on Wednesday, Makarfi announced that he had sent seven bills to the Kaduna state assembly abolishing the current area court system and providing for both Islamic and customary courts. But he said the Islamic courts would cover only religious and family matters, and said that local governments would only be allowed to restrict sales of alcohol in Muslim-majority areas. Nigeria's secular constitution would remain "supreme" he said and no particular religion would be favored over any other. In February, riots erupted during a protest staged by Christians against calls by Muslims for the introduction of Islamic law across the state. Further riots erupted in May. In total, more than 2,000 people have died in violence connected to the issue around the country. Makarfi said that his government would not allow anyone other than the police to impose any law and reiterated his religious impartiality. "Let me emphasize here that the state government would not condone or allow any individual or organization to impose or implement any law in the state. This is the exclusive preserve of the police," he said. "The state shall not profess any particular religion," he added. "Agreed that Islam is supreme to a Muslim as Christian is supreme to a Christian; to the state, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is supreme." "The role of government therefore is limited to providing the framework, as constitutionally provided for, ... that law and order is preserved," he said. Detailing the seven bills sent to the State Assembly, he said: "the foundation of the legal reform is the scrapping of the area court system," currently in operation for minor crimes. In its place, the government proposes Islamic, or Shari'a, courts and customary courts, he said. "Shari'a and customary courts will have equal jurisdiction ... to handle matters on the basis of the faith, norms, customs and traditions of our people," he said. Local governments would only be allowed to restrict alcohol sales in Muslim-majority areas and federal government establishments across the state would be exempted anyway, he said. "These safeguards ... are necessary and expedient in preserving our complexity and accommodating our plurality and differences," the governor said. He said that much of the cause of the demand for Shari'a courts was "the craving by our people for social justice under a democratic dispensation" which he promised to provide. To date, eight northern Nigerian states have introduced, or declared plans to introduce, Islamic law since the country returned to civilian rule last year. The calls for Islamic law in Kaduna produced unrest because of the large number of Christians living in the state who fear domination by Muslims. Muslims form the majority of the population in Nigeria. |
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