Religion

By Ibrahim Uba Yusuf, PhD

Trends in the Hausa Film Industry often divide the industry sharply across socio-political lines. Interactions and production have also not been exclusive to the political dynamics of Northern Nigeria or Kano in particular. However, the recent development requires caution to avoid a relapse into conflict and violence.

On January 28th, 2024, I saw a short video clip of a popular actor-cum-politician, Mustapha Badamasi Naburaska. In the video of about two minutes, the actor announced his intention to release a film that would depict the aftermath of the 2023 Kano State Governorship Petition from the Tribunal to the Supreme Court. In the video, the actor further announced his intention to portray an ‘old man and a musician’ in a negative light.

To complement his pledge, the actor released a poster of the intended film called Igiyar Zato on his Facebook page and other social media platforms. The poster contains the name of the producer and the photograph of the lead fictional character adorned with artificial grey beards just to reinforce the political figure he intends to mock. Mocking a politician is not my problem. It is purely a political affair.

I am not a card-carrying member of any political party but rather a researcher and public affairs analyst interested in teaching and conducting research relating to the Hausa Home Video Industry. In fact, my PhD thesis focused on ‘Hausa Home Videos and Peacebuilding in Northern Parts of Nigeria’. These, I believe, provided me with an opportunity to understand some nitty-gritty and make informed remarks about trends in the industry. It is useful to point out that this write-up is not intended to support or discredit any political group. The essence is to draw the attention of regulatory bodies to a danger that needs their urgent attention.

Firstly, my concern is the use of grey beards in the name of mocking an individual. While the announcement and content of the film may sound pleasing to some of his comrades and supporters, it will hoist a red flag if such content could pass the rigorous screening at the Kano State Censorship Board.

The Beard Issue

The beard issue has been a subject of ridicule during the build-up to the 2023 Guber Election in Kano State. A section of the campaigners used the beard impression to ridicule a particular contestant during their public campaigns. After the pronouncement by the apex court affirming the victory of Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf as the duly elected governor, members of his political party have been engaged in making skit performances in communities using the beard as a subject of emphasis. The skits were done in the name of celebration, to mimic the governorship candidate of the APC.

Igiyar Zato

Although the trailer of the film has not been released, if – at all – it is going to be produced and distributed, viewers and followers of Kano politics can easily predict scenes and the likely narrative it contains. From the different posters, viewers can deduce the direction, rationale and target group of the producer, Mustapha Nabraska. Of concern is the picture of Nabraska with a fictional grey beard. This depiction is a caricature of a recommended tradition of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Muslims may find this satire offensive, an act of irresponsibility and tantamount to rupturing the peace beingenjoyed in Kano State. Making jest at the Prophetic tradition, consciously or unconsciously, is forbidden. Sufficient is verse 65 of Suratul Tauba. While other scenes of the film might be valuable sources of analysis in the field of political communication, indeed, this depiction can likely provoke and create preventable chaos.

What does the Kano State Censorship Board Law say?

The law establishing the Kano State Censorship Board (KSCB) as a statutory regulatory body is not silent on what should be portrayed in films and home videos. The intended production contravenes the religious beliefs of the people of Kano. The film glaringly incorporates a form of amusement and deliberately alters the creation of Almighty Allah to mock an individual, which is not approved in Islam. In fact, these are yardsticks that some religious scholars used to engender their position on the illegality of popular culture.

The law, as it is, frowns at depictions in films that are not in tandem with the culture and tradition of the Kano people. Even though the law mandates all producers to submit their films to the Board for censoring after the completion of production, there is a need to amend that clause and mandate producers to share their ideas at the level of conceptualisation with the Board to be appropriately guided. It is left for the Board to decide what to do with the film if the producer decides to submit a copy before release.

Abba Al-Mustapha should Act!!!

In the interest of peace, the KSCB, under the leadership of Abba Al-Mustapha, should discontinue the promotion and production of the film at all costs. This is given the potential damages it could cause to the volatile situation in Kano. The Muslim community in Kano and beyond are saddened by this irrational depiction and public display, which directly affects a cherished symbol of the Prophet of Islam Muhammad (SAW). In the same way, you thwarted the distribution and sales of Queen Primer in Kano. Please act fast now.

The KSCB remains the beacon of hope in preserving the culture and religion of the people of Kano, and we hope that it will continue to do so without fear or favour. The Board should avoid politicisation and preferential treatment of members loyal to the government and deliberately make Kano a difficult terrain for actors and musicians who align with the opposition.

I urge the Board to assess the film on the scale of cultural and religious values and their attendant consequences to Kano State’s peace. Already, people are aggrieved and have been registering their displeasure, specifically on the fictional beard, as a subject of ridicule in the post’s comment section on Facebook and other social media platforms. Some comments are inflammatory and may likely throw the State into chaos.

This is the time of political healing and concentration on fulfilling the myriad of campaign promises. Any distraction is uncalled for. As such, there is a need for the Board to provide policy direction to actors and musicians who have become stakeholders in political campaigns on how to produce content devoid of promoting hatred, public ridicule and rupture.

Ibrahim Uba Yusuf, PhD, lectures at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri, and is the Director of Communications, Advocacy, and Outreach at the Centre for Media, Policy, and Accountability (CMPA). He can be reached at ibrahim.mcm@unimaid.edu.ng.

By: Ibrahim Suleiman Ibrahim

In today’s consistently evolving digital world, the pursuit of digital/ICT skills has become increasingly important for individuals and communities alike. This is particularly relevant for Muslim women, who often face unique challenges in balancing their religious and family values with their career choices, hence, making them to be left behind in the digital landscape.

In this article, we will explore the importance of creating awareness among Muslim communities about the need for Muslim women, especially the married ones, to pursue digital/ICT skills.

One of the primary concerns of Muslim women is the compatibility of their careers with their religious values and family life. Most jobs in our contemporary secular societies often raise ‘Sharee’ah’ concerns—which mostly revolve around free mixing and intimacy with ‘non-mahrams’, prolonged unavailability in their matrimonial homes that often impede performance of domestic responsibilities, compromising the Islamically mandated mode of dressing for Muslim women, and so on, making it challenging for some educated Muslim women to identify fulfilling careers that align with their religious values and beliefs.

God so kind, the recent advancements in the ICT sector has now alternatively offered a wealth of opportunities for Muslim women to pursue careers that are both fulfilling and compatible with their ‘Deen’ and family life, but unfortunately, most Muslim women lack sufficient awareness of those opportunities.

It is quite essential for Islamic scholars and Muslim elites to be aware of the recent advancements in the ICT sector and to consider enlightening their communities about the potential benefits of digital/ICT skills for Muslim women. By promoting awareness and understanding, these leaders can help Muslim women make informed decisions about their careers and contribute to the overall empowerment of the community, without compromising their religious values and beliefs.

Importantly, pursuing digital/ICT skills can also lead to remote job opportunities that offer flexibility and work-life balance. These jobs allow women to work from their homes, enabling them to demonstrate their supportive roles in their marriages, while still advancing their careers. Some of the skills that can lead to remote job opportunities include web development, copywriting, social media management, digital marketing, graphic designs, virtual administration, data analytics and so on.

Furthermore, encouraging Muslim women to pursue digital/ICT skills can lead to greater empowerment and intellectual development. By acquiring these skills, Muslim women can supportively contribute to their families’ finances and also become more intellectually sound, which is in line with the principles of Islam that promote the pursuit of knowledge.

In conclusion, we are in an interconnected world where digital skills are increasingly relevant across all sectors. Muslim women lawfully deserve to be equiped with these skills so they can also participate more actively in the global economy and contribute to the advancement of their communities, within the limits of Sharee’ah.

There may be misconceptions within Muslim communities about the compatibility of digital/ICT careers with Islamic principles. However, creating awareness can help address these misconceptions and demonstrate how these skills can be utilized in ways that are consistent with religious values.

It’s therefore crucial for community leaders, including Islamic scholars and Muslim elites, to actively promote the value of digital/ICT skills for Muslim women. Their support and endorsement can greatly influence the attitudes and decisions of community members.

Ibrahim Suleiman Ibrahim is a Public Affairs Analyst. He can be reached via: suleimibrahim00@gmail.com

By Muhammad Abdurrahman

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has concluded that there is none like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu among the governors and political leaders of the South West. This was a sequel to the appointment yesterday of Chief Olayide Adelami as the new deputy governor of Ondo State by Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa. 

The Islamic human rights organisation based its conclusion on the governor’s failure to pick a Muslim as his deputy despite demands to that effect from various Islamic bodies, including MURIC.

This position was made known in a press statement issued by the group’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Friday, January 26th, 2024.

The full statement reads:

“Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa yesterday appointed Chief Olayide Adelami, a Christian, as the new deputy governor of Ondo State. 

“This appointment, in our opinion, is a direct rejection of the appeals made by several Islamic organisations, including the Muslim community of Ondo State, which controls about 40% of the total population. It also mirrors the insensitivity of Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa to the yearnings and aspirations of Muslims in Ondo State. 

“The appointment further demonstrates the total lack of hypocrisy in the mantra of ‘religious tolerance’ as publicly brandished by Christian leaders and their politicians in the South West. If there is any scintilla of religious tolerance and inclusiveness, it has been coming from the Muslim politicians and the Muslim population in the region. 

“Whereas President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sought to embrace inclusiveness and religious tolerance by giving top appointments to Christians, none of the Christian governors in the South West reciprocated by giving Muslims a similar treatment. 

“Sanwo-Olu of Lagos gave the Christians 43 commissioners, but he gave Muslims a meagre 14. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State gave Christians 16, but he gave Muslims only 4. In Oyo State, Seyi Makinde gave Christians 10 commissioners but gave Muslims 6. 

“The worst is Osun State, where the Christian governor, Ademola Adeleke, keeps deceiving the people that he is a Muslim. He also has a Christian deputy. That is the extent of executive fraud. Despite this Christian-Christian ticket in Osun State, the number of Christian commissioners is 17, while that of Muslims is just 7. 

“Ondo has 15 Christian commissioners against only 2 Muslims while Christian commissioners in Ekiti are 24 while the Muslims have 1 (one) only. 

“Who is like Tinubu among the six Christian governors in Yorubaland? There is none. Who can treat Yoruba Muslims with the same magnanimity which Tinubu extended to Christians at the federal level? None that we know of. 

“History will attest to Tinubu as the Muslim president who extended inclusiveness to hitherto hostile Christians. The annals will register Ayetilewa as the Christian governor of Ondo, who could not stomach the thought of having a Muslim deputy. Chroniclers will not spare the intolerant Christian governors of Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti, who used their proverbial teeth to share the common patrimony of the South West but whom only Allah knows what they kept for their Christian brethren.

“Muslims are under heavy siege in the South West. They have become endangered species, oppressed, depressed, repressed, underemployed, overworked, underpaid, mere fish for evangelical fishermen, falcons caged for the falconer.”

By Abubakar Idris Misau

“…Muslims need to look no further than the Quran for guidance, where there are approximately 200 verses concerning the environment.”  — Ibrahim Ozdemir

Asked about what Islam has to say about the conservation of natural resources, here is my take: Like the secondary school students who would want to start arguing their points by defining the key terms of their topics, this writer defines Islam, conservation, and natural resources before connecting the dots. However, the terms are concisely defined, requiring only the essential information for even those unfamiliar with the terms to understand their existence. By defining the terms, the writer intended to allow as many classes of readers to take a message home from the article as possible. 

Meanwhile, unlike in the case of secondary school students, the intent of this article is not to score points but to reiterate, for it has often been neglected that Islam is the most compatible religion to science and remains the mother of many scientific disciplines. The religion explains and advocates for the conservation of natural resources – to say mildly. 

Islam, not because it was founded some 145 decades ago, but because it is often defined as such, is the Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred on the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. It has five pillars and six articles of faith. With the followers of this faith, called Muslims, numbering close to 2 billion worldwide, Islam is not only universally seen as the second-largest but also the fastest-growing religion in the world.

Collectively referred to as Ummah, Muslims believe that their religion, a Deen or comprehensive way of life, is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith revealed many times through earlier prophets such as Adam, Nuhu (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), and Isa (Jesus) may peace and blessings be upon them all. Perhaps in the most concise edition, this can be said to be the meaning of Islam.

Conservation, however, carries different meanings depending on the time and situation in which it is used. For example, the meaning it conveys in the sciences as physics is not the same as that which it takes in arts. Meanwhile, in this essay, the meaning relating to natural resources is strictly considered. It is thus the triangle of protection, management and wise use of the resources in question for the benefit of current and coming generations. The natural resources meant to be conserved are the tangible and intangible materials drawn from nature – which are utilised with little to no alteration. Examples of such resources include vegetation, wildlife, land, water, sunlight and so on.

Given the above definitions, this article suggests that Islam as a religion and a way of life speaks about natural resources and even strongly preaches that they must be protected, managed and wisely used.

While there is no one place in the Qur’an where it is said, “Oh you who believe do well to conserve your forests…” and or that failure to protect wildlife could amount to crumbling in the fire of Jahannam; evidence from the same book and other sources such as the tradition of the Prophet (Sunnah) are very clear and enough to debunk [to say mildly] any opinion that is against conservation of natural resources – at least from Islamic viewpoint.

To start with, Allah The Exalted [SWA] says in Surah Yunus, Qur’an chapter 10 verse 14, “Then we made you trustees (Khalifa) on the earth after them, to see how you would act.” Other verses, such as in Surah Al-Ahzab (Q 33:72) and Surah Al-An’am (Q 6:165), directly emphasise the same message. In line with this, the Prophet [PBUH] said, “The world is a beautiful and verdant, verily God, The Exalted, has made you His stewards in it, and He sees how you acquit yourselves” (Saheeh Muslim).

According to Muhammad A. Chakaki, an independent environmental consultant and a founding member of the American Green Muslims in the Direct, that man is made the khalifa, trustee, steward, successor, custodian, …name it, “does not mean absolute power of humans over nature. … It is a trust, an immense responsibility.” Indeed, Chakaki’s explanation of this stewardship could hardly be far from the truth. 

For in Surah Al-Ahzab, chapter 33, verse 72, Allah [SWA] says, “Verily, We offered the entrusted property (Amana) to the heavens, and the Earth/land, and the mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it;- He was indeed unjust and foolish.” As man is allowed to use the natural resources upon which he is made a custodian, being warned against using it extravagantly presents stewardship as a double-edged sword: remaining as an honour whilst also a test.

At the heart of the famous George Washington University stands the Islamic Studies Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Of the highest order, Nasr is a faculty, an environmentalist, a philosopher, and an author of more than 50 books and over 500 articles. The erudite scholar expresses his environmental philosophy in terms of Islamic Environmentalism and Resacralization of Nature. According to the more-than-90-year-old distinguished academic, environmental crisis cannot be understood, much less solved, without a wider spiritual approach. In his view, man must humble himself as the steward he is and stop the dictatorial approach in his relationship with nature. [See, for instance, his book ‘Religion and the Order of Nature’].

While many of Nasr’s propositions are frowned at and thrown to the dust bin, labelled as too unscientific and religiously induced – because ours is an over-obsessed-with-technology sort of a world – the very idea that environmental crisis is a self-inflicted wound caused by human activity, remains a universal convention. Surah As-Shura has it all said: “And whatever misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned…”

However, influenced by Nasr, in an opinion published by Aljazeera, a renowned environmentalist and a professor of philosophy at Uskudar University Turkey, Ibrahim Ozdemir said, “Islam teaches its followers to take care of the earth.” And that in his opinion, the one simple yet neglected solution to the environmental crisis is ‘interpreting the issue from an Islamic perspective’.

In this line of thinking, when this writer [of this article] writes, he shall discuss Hima (Protected Area), Waqf (Endowment), and Israf (Prohibition of Wastefulness), among other natural resource conservation concepts – from an Islamic viewpoint. Meanwhile, suffice it to say that climate change and its resulting environmental crisis are real, and Almighty Allah says in Surah Al-Ra’ad, “… Verily, Allah does not change the condition of a people unless they change what is in themselves…” [Q 13:11].

Abubakar Idris Misau, a graduate of Forestry and Wildlife from the University of Maiduguri, writes from Yola, Nigeria. He can be reached via email at abubakaridrismisau@gmail.com.

By Umar Sheikh Tahir (Bauchi)

Columbia is an Ivy League University, one of the eight most prestigious institutions in the United States of America. Ph.D. students at this university undergo two years of coursework. One of the classes I took was Islam, Knowledge and Forms, which a visiting professor from Germany taught. Part of the course is a library visit to the exhibitions section under the project of Islamic Sciences, Science, Nature, and Beauty: Harmony and Cosmological Perspectives in Islamic Science (2022) at Butler Library, the largest library of Columbia University with millions of resources. 

The exhibition contained objects, images, rare manuscripts, and other learning materials. Two materials, among others, became the most astonishing factors in the exhibition: one of them is a rare copy of the Holy Quran, and the second is a locally handmade wooden tablet (Allo).   

The instructor asked everyone to talk about any material in the exhibition. Students gave their feedback on the experiences passionately; different things wowed everyone. When it came to my turn as someone who had known these items since childhood in my father’s private library, where we sneaked as children, which housed similar treasures. To us, these are the most useful items in his library as we do not read books; we only view images and magazines, such things that are not viewed as essential to the readers. Then, I shared my familiarity with these items, telling them I was exposed to most of the exhibited materials from my upbringing in Northern Nigeria, including “rare manuscripts” of the Quran. 

The Quran displayed was a giant copy of the original Uthmanic Quran, denoted to the third Caliphate of the Muslim nations who reigned (644/23H–656/35H). It was so amazing to all of us. As for me, the Quran is the most frequently read book in my entire life, and to their surprise, I can read this copy fluently without diacritical marks. I highlighted that memorising the holy Quran, even without understanding Arabic, is common in Northern Nigeria.  Most of my fellows never knew that sometimes people memorise it at an early age. I did not shock them with that, as I am one of them. 

In the second incident, Professor Brinkley Messick invited me to speak in his class on Islamic Shariah Law as someone with experience with an Islamic Madrasa background and went to Azhar University in Egypt. The theme of the class is the Islamic madrasa. He is interested in the Islamic tradition, as evident from the cover of his book, “Calligraphic State.” 

The Professor brought Allo a wooden tablet to the class and circulated it to students. Everyone was looking at it with surprise. I named it to them as a personal tablet for inscription and memorisation of the holy Quran, and the students asked for more details. I said we write verses from the holy Quran for memorisation after repeating it several times; not everyone understands how that works, except those with Islamic background. However, when I told them when we wash the script, we drink it, everyone was left with open mouths, surprising our embodiment of the holy book, including the professor. They could not process as modernised individuals with high sensitivity to germs and bacteria. Again, as I told our class last semester, this is very common in Northern Nigeria. 

Coincidently, one of the attendees from a Saudi background added that people used some scripts for Talismite and protection from Djinn (Ruqyā in Arabic or Ruqiyya in Hausa) by reciting some verses in water. I told her this is true; we have that part in our culture too, but the biggest part is that we drink washed script for the embodiment and show respect for not letting a drop of that water on the ground as a sacred word. As kids, we were told that whatever verses we memorise from the holy Quran and drink will stay in our hearts for a long time.

In reference to that, American Professor of Islam in Africa Rudolph Ware published his book Walking Quran on the Madrasa system in West Africa. He referred to those Quranic students’ embodiment as the Walking Quran in relation to the narration of the Hadith reported in the books of Hadith such as Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim; Aisha was asked about Prophet Muhammad’s PBUH character, and she said he was a Walking Quran.  

Our cultural legacy, often undervalued by some of us in our region, gained recognition at Ivy League institutions. Those people appreciate a centuries-old Quranic educational tradition or Almajiri system and show their respect to our subregion. Even our way of drinking the washed script of the Quran mesmerised them. 

A professor dedicated his projects to studying a school system called Daara schools in Senegambia or the Tsangaya schools in Northern Nigeria, making it evident that our legacy is an astonishing point to those communities. Then, as indigenous Africans who were introduced to the colonial system of Education less than a century ago in Northern Nigeria, we should be more proud of our system by appreciating those communities who choose to preserve it, as they make our subregion a central point of high intellectual conversation around the world. 

We should not deny our legacy by stigmatising the Almajiri system of education. Instead, we should support it and create a way of modernising it to empower and preserve our centuries-old legacy.  Whoever shows kindness to the Quran and its reciters will receive people’s applauses in this life, including Western intellectuals, and God’s reward in the hereafter. Thanks to those state governments in Northern Nigeria who support and recognise this system of education.

Umar Sheikh Tahir is a PhD student at Columbia University, New York, USA. He can be reached via ust2102@columbia.edu.

By: Hassan Idris

Christmas is an annual festival that’s primarily celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. It’s duly observed on the 25th of every December as a religious and cultural celebration among millions of people around the world. Notwithstanding, Christmas, of course, is a Christian holiday that’s celebrated by many around the globe as a religious holiday with religious rituals, values and relationships. This schema for understanding what grips society together also applies to Christmas as a secular holiday. Christmas is a beloved holiday and for good reasons. It’s a time for parties, delicious seasonal beverages, feasting, gifts, and for many, a time of homecoming, but underneath the surface of festivity, there’s quite a bit going on, sociologically.

Sociologically, Christmas holds the social value of rituals as Classical Sociologist Emile Durkheim tends to shed more light on this. Durkheim, a functional Sociologist, developed a still widely used theory for explaining what holds society and social groups together through his study of religion.

Durkheim identified core aspects of religious structure and participation that sociologists today apply to society in general, including the role of rituals in bringing people together around shared practices and values; and ways that participation in rituals reaffirms shared values, and thus reaffirms and strengthens the social bonds between people (which he called social solidarity); and the experience of “collective effervescence,” in which people tend to share in feelings of excitement and are unified in the experience of participating in rituals together. As a result of these things, people feel connected to others, a sense of belonging, and the social order as it exists makes sense to them. They feel stable, comfortable, and secure.

Furthermore, the secular rituals of Christmas are very pertinent in the sociological discussion of social solidarity. Christmas, of course, is a Christian holiday, celebrated by many as a religious holiday with religious rituals, values, and relationships. The rituals involved in Christmas are decorating, often together with loved ones; using seasonal and holiday-themed items; cooking meals and baking sweets; throwing and attending parties; exchanging gifts; wrapping and opening those gifts; bringing children to visit Santa Claus; watching for Santa on Christmas eve; leaving milk and cookies for him; singing Christmas carols; hanging stockings; watching Christmas movies and listening to Christmas music; performing in Christmas pageants; and attending church services.

However, what Christmas does is bring us together with the people we hold dear and give us an opportunity to reaffirm our shared values. When we participate in rituals together, we call to the surface of interactions the values that underlie them. In this case, we can identify the values that underlie these rituals as the importance of family and friendship, togetherness, kindness, and generosity. These are the values that uphold the most beloved Christmas movies and songs, too. By coming together around these values through participation in Christmas rituals, we reaffirm and strengthen our social ties with those involved.

Also, Christmas performs a deeply important social function for us. It makes us feel like we are part of a collective whole, whether that be with kin or chosen family. And, as social beings, this is one of our fundamental human needs. Doing this is what makes it such a special time of year, and why, for some, if we don’t achieve this at Christmastime, it can be a real downer. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the hunt for gifts, the desire for new goods, and the promise of letting loose and partying during this time of the year.

Furthermore, in 1925, Anthropologist Marcel Mauss theorized that gift-giving is actually all about the giver: Mauss identified three obligations associated with gift exchange: giving, which he equates with the first step in building a social relationship; receiving, which signifies acceptance of the social relationship; and reciprocating, which demonstrates the recipient’s integrity. If gifts are refused or unreciprocated, relationships can be threatened. Decoration and gift giving are some of the prerequisites of Christmas and strengthen relationship bounds and solidarity amongst people all over the world.

Coming down to the Christmas celebration in Nigeria, it is pertinent to know that Nigeria is a rich country, given its endowed natural resources. Nigeria is a large nation populated by different multi-ethnic and cultural groups. It has an estimated population of over 200 hundred thousand people. It’s now generally estimated that there are some 400 ethnic groups of varying sizes that are found in Nigeria. However, there are definitely nothing less than 400 languages in this diverse country which makes people wonder how the British were able to determine that a united country was possible in such a diversity. And in this kind of complex diversity Nigerians celebrate Christmas happily and peacefully.

Christmas in Nigeria is a family event, a time when lots of family members come together to celebrate and have fun. Most families, that live in cities, travel to the villages where their grandparents and older relatives live. The end of the year is usually a great time for most Nigerians, and this is not just because it signals a time of relief for most people aching for a vacation or rest from all the hard work and back-breaking activities of the previous months; it is also because December time is Christmas time!

Christmas Day in Nigeria is a public holiday that is marked by the emptying of towns and cities with excitement in the air. People travel to their respective states of origin to celebrate with their loved ones, it is often a time for family reunion, a time to re-strategize and focus, it is a time to seek the face of God and make new year resolutions and also bless those who are less fortunate, and other general acts of random kindness.

As the towns and cities empty, people jam the West African markets to buy and transport live chickens, goats and cows that will be needed for the Christmas meals. On Christmas Eve, many families will throw Christmas parties that will last all night long, traditional meals are prepared and served according to the traditions of each region. Instead of having sweets and cakes, Nigerians as a whole tend to prepare various dishes.

In the South, a dish called Jollof rice or fried rice is served with stews of various meats along with fried plantains; in the North, rice and stew, as well as Tuwon Shinkafa, a rice pudding, served with various meat stews, are preferred. An alternative in both regions (but more favoured in the South) is a pepper soup with fish, goat meat or beef. Served with these foods are an array of mainly alcoholic drinks such as the traditional palm wine or various local and imported beers and wines; children and women may be served locally-made soft-drink equivalents instead.

Many different languages are spoken in Nigeria, and with different ways of wishing one another a happy Christmas. In Hausa Happy/Merry Christmas is ‘barka dà Kirsìmatì’; in Yoruba it’s ‘E ku odun, e ku iye’dun’; in Fulani it’s ‘Jabbama be salla Kirismati’; in Igbo (Ibo) ‘E keresimesi Oma’; in Ibibio ‘Idara ukapade isua’ and in Edo it’s ‘Iselogbe’.

However, on Christmas morning, Christians go to church to give thanks to God. Homes, restaurants, workplaces and streets are often decorated. Most homes will have an artificial Christmas tree. Children love to play with firecrackers at Christmas. The church choir may visit the church congregation in their homes to sing Christmas carols to them. Christmas cards are sent to friends and family members. Presents are exchanged amongst family members, and some families may take their children dressed in new outfits to see Santa Claus, usually referred to as ” FATHER CHRISTMAS in Nigeria.

In the villages, people would be greeted by the numerous masquerade groups formulated by the younger people who gently display their dance moves in exchange for foreign currencies. These dance groups make the Christmas experience soothing and comforting. The young girls also have their dance groups, though without a masquerade but with palm fronds tied to their left feet as a sign of bravery in some cultures. These young girls also make money by displaying their well-thought-out dance steps.

Christmas in Nigeria consumes money and the flow of gifts. It’s a time for celebration and reconnection, the experience is always an unforgettable one. Visitors are welcomed, and there is no house that is left without the aroma of chickened stew, especially in places where the celebration is ongoing. Nigerians are kinder to each other during the holidays.

Families and organizations take time out during the holidays to share good cheers and give out gifts to each other and the less privileged. Some people also organize causes and donation points for others. The most lit parties happen at Christmas time. From carols to street carnivals to concerts, people are bound to have the utmost time of their lives during the holidays.

In conclusion, the sociology of Christmas is wonderful and unique as it is important to remember that Christmas will be most enjoyable when it is designed to foster togetherness and also share and reaffirm the positive values that bind Christians together.

Hassan Idris can be reached via idrishassan035@gmail.com.

By Dr. Dikko Muhammad

I’m surprised that some people find the said letter of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi surprising. The fact is that many Nigerians see the courts as departments for the pursuance of politicians’ interest and more often, as stalls for the sale of “justice” to the highest bidder. And they have reasons to believe so. Why?

Senator Bulkachuwa told the Senate, on camera, that his wife, a former President of the Nigerian Court of Appeal, “extended her help to his colleagues” while in office.

A recently retired justice of the Supreme Court complained a lot of its workings. Not to mention the complaints against the top Oga of the Supreme Court who once led other justices to complain against the former top Oga of the Supreme Court.

Series of conflicting judgments are becoming a defining feature of ours courts.

The idea of the court as an umpire is fast becoming extinct. If any unknown backbencher politician wants me lock up tomorrow, being Sunday, don’t be surprised for the lines of judges ready to grant his request.

Where justice is delayed and denied, fears and favours determining verdicts, faith in the court is eroded. This is why our country has become a planet of jungle justice. People think that the courts are haven for criminals. The densely populated prisons in Nigeria are a repulsive testimony to the putrid stench of our entire judicial system.

So, it’s now left for our courts to either redeem their battered image or continue to sink into the abys. They’re designed to be the last refuge for the oppressed, not a refuse for the oppressor. If writing a letter would make it deliver justice, we should all be letter writers to the Supreme Court.

Dikko writes from Katsina State, Nigeria.

By Abdurrahman Muhammad

A call has gone to the Federal Government for a reform of Nigerian marriage laws that will allow married women to bear their fathers’ names. Making the call was an Islamic human rights advocacy group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). 

A statement signed by the group’s director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Monday, 18^th December 2023, described the current practice whereby married women are forced to bear their husbands’ surnames as gender discriminatory, archaic and oppressive. 

MURIC condemned the current practice for depriving women of their Allah-given fundamental human right to personal and parental identity in marriage. The group advocated the adoption of the women-friendly Islamic practice, which allows married women to bear their fathers’ surnames after marriage. 

The full statement reads:

“Our attention has been drawn to the plight of married Muslim women who are being disallowed by employers from bearing their fathers’ names. This amounts to forceful enslavement, denial of Allah-given fundamental human right to parental identity and wrongful dismissal of loco parentis.

“We condemn the current practice for three major reasons, namely, for generating confusion in the society, for creating a monumental identity crisis among married women and for depriving women of their Allah-given fundamental human right to personal as well as parental identity in marriage.

“Instead of this, we advocate the adoption of the women-friendly Islamic practice which allows married women to bear their fathers’ surnames after marriage. 

“No woman dropped suddenly from the sky, and even if some appear out of nowhere, they must have been born, bred, nurtured, buttered and marmaladed by certain parents before they grew up and matured into womanhood. Their education was also sponsored by their parents at a time when the future husband probably knew nothing about them and spent no kobo on their upbringing and their education.

“It therefore beats logic, fairness and natural justice that a husband appears out of nowhere to commandeer a woman’s parental identity simply by marrying her. Such identity robbery also has its advantages. 

“For instance, women who are educated are forced to advertise change of names to their husbands’ surnames after marriage in order to retain the validity of their documents and properties. It often becomes very difficult and sometimes impossible for married women to be located or to retain old friends due to such a change of name. 

“Those who want to be sincere among married women today will confirm the stress they have gone through from this experience. Islam sets women free from such stress by permitting married women to retain their original family names.

“Contrary to the general claim that Islam discriminates against women, Islamic liberation theology actually teaches respect for the dignity of women in all circumstances. One of such circumstances is the period when women are in wedlock. Whereas Western civilisation robs married women of their original family identity by insisting that they should bear their husbands’ surnames, the Shari’ah allows women to bear their own fathers’ names even after marriage. 

“We therefore invite the Federal Government and other relevant authorities to set the machinery in motion towards allowing married women to bear their fathers’ names. In particular, we charge both houses in the National Assembly, the Senate and the House of Representatives, to introduce the necessary bills that will set Nigerian women free from undue masculine domination.

“This advocacy is not for Muslim women alone. We are certain that Muslim women are not the only ones who feel the pinch. MURIC would love to see every married woman who desires to be identified by her father’s name enabled to do so. Our lawmakers should frame the clauses in such a way that all women can enjoy the freedom to choose between bearing their fathers’ names or their husbands’. It is time to set Nigerian women free. They are the mothers of our society.

“We contend that the whole gamut of women’s liberation struggle boils down to a sham and a mirage until this goal is achieved. A married woman is not a slave. She is not just a dot in social statistics. She has a soul, and that soul yearns for love. She covets to love and be loved, not only by her husband but also by her family and vice versa. Nigeria must not fail her. Parental identity is sacrosanct. Husbands can never replace fathers in matters of parental identity, and that is what the current system compels women to go through. Enough is enough.”

By Ubaydullah Abdulmalik

When an average youth from a developing country is fooled into believing that schooling is a scam because degrees do not guarantee employment, there is little that can be done to help such a person. There is hardly a day that I scroll through social media pages without stumbling over multiple posts that discredit the relevance of schooling and tertiary education. This argument continues to generate debates on whether it is worth it to go to school and acquire degrees, in a society where degree holders and degreeless people “hustle” equally for survival.

So is schooling a scam? Well, I will start with a quote from Michelle Obama, she said and I quote; “The ability to read, write and analyze; the confidence to stand up and demand justice and equality; the qualifications and connections to get your foot in the door and take your seat at the table – all of that start with education.” – Michelle Obama

It is gradually becoming a prevalent notion within our society that degrees and advanced formal education have limited relevance in the 21st century, and this is only because they don’t guarantee jobs to those who pursue or acquire them. No one says a college degree is the only path to success in life, but honestly, how could schooling be considered a waste of time?

Primarily, based on the misconception that people go to school and graduate to get employed, this reprehensible fallacy is gaining more ground in the midst of our youths and students. Phrases like “school na scam,” “who degree epp,” and “this useless course” among others, are trademarks of this idea. it is an undeniable fact that unemployment is at an all-time high state and that in today’s society, degrees and other qualifications may not guarantee employment, let alone job security for individuals, but this does not render degrees useless or schooling a waste of time. Because many do not understand the real essence of education, they stand to benefit the least from it – a lot go through schools only to leave a little different than they arrived.

Time has changed and even though college degrees largely guaranteed an employment in the past, that doesn’t hold anymore today. With the rapid rise of technological innovations, artificial intelligence and automation, concerns about unemployment continue to grow globally.

In my own opinion, this only reflects the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of societies and human interactions. The nature and standard of education in the past befitted the market requirements, socio-economic realities and technological advancement of those people, then.

Education has constantly evolved with societies and human behavior, and as such, we must continuously align the standards of our educational system with the dynamic needs and challenges of the present era. But this is difficult to fathom for some people. Instead of asking why a degree or some other form of formal education may not easily guarantee or get one a job in today’s society, a lot are trying to dismiss the relevance of tertiary education as a whole. This is completely wrong.

This is one out of many disheartening posts and conversations that happen daily on social media. The gullible among youths and students are glaringly made to believe this, because of obvious reasons, that education no longer holds much relevance in today’s society. And it is a very big fat lie! I don’t subscribe to the conspiracy theories questioning the motives behind our contemporary educational system. I do believe, however, that certain errors need to be corrected in our educational system, especially our mindset, regarding the purpose of education.

There’s this general misconception or conditioning that we all grow up with; since childhood, we are made to believe that we go through school and obtain education (the 6-3-3-4 system) to ultimately seek a job, a notion that is wrong in its entirety. When people grow up to learn the hard truths, some misunderstand it all and they begin to question the relevance of education.

A change in mindset and orientation would solve it all. The upcoming generation must come to understand that the end goal of education is not solely employment. Of course employment is a major factor after acquiring education; and gainful employment is expected of anyone with “sound education”, however, employment is never the primary purpose of education.

Education is meant to train individuals and to equip them with the requisite skills needed to thrive in any environment and live a meaningful life. Education is meant to broaden horizons, sparking innovations and producing problem-solvers that would champion the emancipation and advancement of societies. 

As Kofi Annan puts it: “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” Education has always been and will always remain the golden key to success. It depends however on one’s perception of what education is. 

Most often, we only think of the superficial value of things and never care to reflect deeply on the real essence of education. 1000 years ago, no one went to school to get degrees and universities as we know them today, did not exist. Even so, the people of those ages had their forms of education and learning systems, be they formal or informal. Similarly, universities as we know them today, may not exist in the next two or three centuries, but the essence of education will persist in accordance with the context of that era. This is because education is boundless and timeless.

Ubaydullah Abdulmalik is an undergraduate student from Bayero University, Kano. He is a passionate advocate for quality education and digital literacy in today’s society. He can be reached via; ubaydulmalik530@gmail.com

By Mohammad Qaddam Sidq Isa (Daddy)

There is a general but simplistic assumption that electoral victory necessarily implies Allah’s endorsement of the winner and His disapproval of the loser. 

Politicians, potential beneficiaries of the electoral victory of politicians, and overzealous followers engage in supposedly wholehearted Addu’a for their and their benefactors’ electoral victory.

The practice of Addu’a for electoral victory has grown into a phenomenon and has indeed become an integral part of politicking in Nigeria. It has, in fact, turned into an industry of a sort where huge amounts of resources are invested in engaging amateur, part-time and professional Addu’a service-providing malamai who provide their services to the highest bidders or whom they expect higher gain from them of whatever kind.

Besides, with the growing phenomenon of holding the so-called special prayer sessions in public places for the success of one politician or another, the ‘political Addu’a industry’ has been growing further, attracting more investments from politicians. This is even though such so-called special prayer sessions bear the hallmarks of Bid’a.

On their part, winners in elections and their followers brag that their electoral victory necessarily implies Allah’s acceptance of their Addu’a hence His endorsement of them. They equally mock their opponents and attribute their loss to Allah’s disapproval of them. Whereas, in reality, nobody knows for sure whether or not a particular electoral victory implies Allah’s endorsement, or whether or not a particular loss implies His disapproval.

Because the fact that politicking under democracy is inherently characterized by gross dishonesty, hypocrisy, cunning, deceitfulness, bribery and other serious vices, which arguably all politicians perpetrate in their struggle to outmanoeuvre one another, makes the whole system too filthy for Allah to have anything to do with it, in the first place,  let alone endorse any politician against another.

The winner, therefore, only wins thanks to his ability to somehow outdo his opponents in that regard, and the losers only lose due to their failure to outplay the winner, while none enjoys Allah’s endorsement, for all are equally guilty of the same grave sins, regardless of the extents of their involvements, respectively. After all, they actually never take Addu’a seriously in the first place; they only feign commitment to it in the context of their manipulation of religion for political interests.

Electoral victory under democracy is just like winning in gambling, which obviously never implies Allah’s endorsement.

Though craving for power and the temptations of what comes with it are irresistibly tempting, they aren’t worth the price of politicking under democracy, with all that it entails, which those involved pay in the hereafter. 

Mohammed Qaddam wrote via mohammadsidq@gmail.com.