By Ahmad Deedat Zakari
Hisbah, particularly that of Kano State, has become a constant subject of controversies. All thanks to social media, which provide platforms for the proliferation of information channels, expression of dissents, scrutiny and analyses of actions of agencies of government and organizations. Sadly, Hisbah is at the receiving end of online trolls, and the relative goodwill it enjoys is plummeting downward. The irony of Hisbah’s dilemma is her complicity in her woes.
Generally, Hisbah is saddled with upholding community morals based on Qur’anic injunctions. However, in the case of Kano, it is a creation of the “Hisbah Board Law of 2003”. This became a child of necessity owing to the reluctance of the police to enforce the Sharia Penal Code.
In countries around the world where moral policing with the resemblance of what is obtainable in Hisbah is practised, like Pakistan and some Islamic countries, human rights violations are always prevalent. So, it is not surprising that people express their dismay when liquor bottles conveyed in trucks are confiscated. People believe their rights and the rights of others to do liquor business are being trampled on. For example, it’s alleged that the Kano State Hisbah Board recently invited Shatu Garko’s parents because she participated in the contest that led to her emergence as Miss Nigeria. Although Hisbah denied it, it did not sit well with liberal Muslims who argued that Miss Garko’s apparel aligns with Islamic teachings.
Another possible reason people are probably tired of Hisbah is how the organization dwells on trivialities amidst the many challenges that beleaguer today’s North and the country in general. This, no doubt, has reduced Hisbah to a comical sensation in some quarters. It is laughable that in a society where many of her youths are abusing drugs and coteries of substances, an organization for upholding moral values would focus its energy on the nudity of mannequins. In today’s North, many moral concerns of overwhelming importance are left unchecked.
A Hisbah’s top commander was reported to have been found under suspicious circumstances with a married woman in a hotel room. This was no doubt a clear case of a hunter being hunted. The organization did the needful by relieving him of his job. But the incident had doubtlessly left a dent on their image. I am not saying Hisbah members are angels that cannot violate the same ideas they seemingly defend and hold others accountable for. Still, just like how police in Nigeria are often viewed with suspicion, Hisbah would not be far from such if it keeps having corps with untamed libidinal desires.
Moreover, Hisbah has been selective in her moral crusade. The powerful and their children do not always answer for what Hisbah will term morally wrong if the ordinary man did it with no power. Not everyone can be summoned; the commoner with no voice is always the victim.
A Hisbah director recently tried to explain discrimination on who is invited for questioning and counselling. He opined that in Islam, leaders are not publicly chastised for their wrong actions. He is correct, however, does this rule extends to their children? With my modest understanding of Islam, it is not. It was rather a ridiculous excuse for what they can not do for obvious reasons. Although many see his excuse as hypocrisy, I do not see any difference either. Hisbah should not operate on the parlance of some animal farms where some animals are more equal than others. That way, it loses its credibility, goodwill and legitimacy.
Ahmad Deedat Zakari is an undergraduate at the Faculty of Law, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He can be reached via ahmadzakari111@gmail.com.