By Muhsin Ibrahim – Cologne, Germany
Let me say it aloud today: the Kano Hisbah Board’s decision to stop arresting people is quite disturbing.
Of course, I am one of those brave few commentators who criticised their method of arresting suspects some time ago, and I still stand by that view and criticism.
From Berlin to Baltimore, London to Lahore, Tel Aviv to Taipei, and Moscow to Muscat, security operatives sometimes manhandle individuals when arresting them. We are all humans!
If all arrests are halted, people will have free rein in Kano. Soon after Hisbah’s announcement, some socialites from other states and countries began relocating to Kano. They act freely and upload their videos on social media.
Kano is cosmopolitan but has unique norms, values, cultures, and religion that deserve respect. We cannot stop globalisation and cultural diffusion, but we should be concerned when our values are undermined.
Globally, countries still protect their “values” in one way or another. “Muhammad” can be – and is – the most popular baby name in England and Wales, but that doesn’t mean Muslims can, for example, legally practice polygyny. This is just but one example.
Kano State Government should reconsider how it manages Hisbah. You either have a functioning Hisbah or no Hisbah at all.
Hisbah should not be a toothless dog. Several clerics are already preaching (wa’azi, nasiha, etc.). It’s not Hisbah’s role to do just that; they need some power to use “force” at a certain level.
May we be guided, amin.
Muhsin Ibrahim is a Kano-born lecturer at the University of Cologne, Germany. He can be reached via muhsin2008@gmail.com.