The objection of the Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) to Ramadan school closure in four northern states has unfortunately snowballed to an unhealthy debate. And of course, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is at the forefront. I look forward to seeing the day when CAN and MURIC will come together as religious groups to jointly fight against some of the menaces that plague Nigeria. Sadly, they work at cross purposes.
For instance, after the notorious blood-sucking Ilorin young Muslim cleric did what he did, a satanic pastor by the name “Prophet” Whepetoji Babaniyah was also arrested in Lagos for the gruesome murder of one Ogunbode Kodri Adedamola Olasunkami. Yet, again, for ritual. It will do the country some good if CAN and MURIC could work together to help fish out these criminal clerics. Or to use MURIC’s words, to “acrobatically” and “gymnastically” combat these evil people in their respective religions before they come for our heads.
MURIC and many Muslims do not see the fine point in CAN’s objection to Ramadan school closure. What they see is the politics. This is not strange as CAN and MURIC are overly politicized religious groups; and their politics isn’t about the development of the polity. It is about the numerical strength of their brethren in government—whether elected or appointed. This explains why they overlook flagrant abuse of power by one of their own. One hardly finds MURIC and CAN criticizing one of their own in government. And when they are circumstantially constrained to do so, they do it meekly, reluctantly and unenthusiastically—very economical in calling a spade a spade.
Any religious association that turns a blind eye and looks the other way when one of their brethren does wrong but makes a deafening noise when the wrongdoer is from outside their religious circle should not deserve our respect.
Having said that, I honestly don’t see anything wrong with CAN’s objection to school closure in Ramadan by the four northern states: Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, and Kebbi. But because we politicize everything, the polity has been unnecessarily heated. It is disturbing to think that every objection to Muslim government’s decision by CAN is, by default, criticism against Islam and the Muslims. The case at hand is one instance. Despite the conspicuous merit in CAN’s argument against school closure, MURIC, and those who think like it, thinks it has to be countered because CAN is the one complaining. If this is how we think, it means we still have a long way to go.
It is like when an enemy draws one’s attention to one’s house being gutted by fire, a wise man will not, in order to spite his enemy, allow his house to burn to aches. While he might not be happy that his enemy is the one drawing his attention to put a stop to the raging fire, it is for his own good to pay attention and do the needful.
Thus, it is for our own good (we Muslims) to allow our students attend regular classes during Ramadan. I have listened to the arguments of many northern clerics against CAN. I have also read MURIC’s objection to CAN. All the arguments, put together, I am sorry to say, are not convincing. Below are some of the arguments:
One, “CAN should stop poking its nose into Muslims’ affairs.” I can’t see how CAN interfere in Muslims’ affairs here. If Ramadan school closure is only meant for the Muslim students while Christians are allowed to go to school to continue normal school activities, I don’t think CAN would raise any objection (except if CAN would be generous to give unsolicited advice out of sympathy for Muslim pupils).
Two, “some students would need to trek long distance to school while fasting.” I find it difficult to make any sense of this argument. Can’t our Excellencies in these states, in the spirit of Ramadan, provide buses to shuttle these students to their various schools? What about students who live just few meters away from their schools? Can we also ask why schools are not shut down for students in tertiary institutions in these states?
How do we think if we really think? Pupils in our basic schools, generally speaking, are not of the age that fasting becomes compulsory. We keep them at home. But schools remain open to those in the higher institutions who have come of age and must fast. Is this not ironical?
Three, “Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State gave two weeks Christmas break and no single Muslim raised an eyebrow.” This is resorting to whataboutism—false equivalence. Primary and secondary school students were already on break when the holiday was declared. The two-week break did not in any way affect their studies. Though that shows how reckless the Governor of Benue State is about governance, it was perhaps advantageous (too) to the Muslim civil servants in Benue State. If the Muslims in Benue State were not happy about it (then), why did they keep mum or where was MURIC (then)?
Four, “Christians have three months holiday in a year.” Another whataboutism to justify something that is not justifiable. This is an allusion to Saturdays and Sundays that are free workdays. When you add them up, you get 104 free working days in a year. When I read this argument (attributed to Reno Omokri and now weoponized by some Muslim clerics), I laughed. For, I can’t understand how that prevents students from going to school. Well, Muslim governors in northern states can make Friday a free workday. Former governor Nasiru El-Rufai of Kaduna State had set the precedent before he left office. I think it is a good one. Yet, it does not justify why schools should be shut down for five weeks in the middle of the term because of Ramadan fasting.
Five, “schools were shut down so that Muslim students can focus on worship in Ramadan.” This is struggling to make a point by all means. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Islaamiyyah (Qur’anic and informal Islamic schools) across Nigeria that hold classes during Ramadan. I don’t shut down my Islaamiyyah too because of Ramadan. And some parents of my Islaamiyyah pupils who would be reading this column would testify to that. So, that argument is just too watery.
Six, “where was CAN when ASUU shut down universities?” This is red herring. It is bogus. CAN and other religious bodies have lamented on university closure, times without number. CAN had also participated in meetings to interface with the government on closure of universities.
Seven, “we can not allow our children faint or die while going to school due to fasting.” Haha! How many students in the North died due to fasting even when fasting was observed in May, June, July—the peak of heat in the North? What does Islam say when fasting becomes “unfastable” (I mean, unbearable?). Isn’t it just to take a break and fast at a later time?
Now, are those northern Muslim governors who did not (and would perhaps not) give Ramadan holiday not Muslims enough or heartless Muslims? I wonder, why are other civil servants in the four states not given Ramadan holiday too so that they can focus on worship? Why are markets not closed? Or are traders not supposed to worship in this holy month?
I hope our Muslim students writing WAEC and other national examinations would be locked up in the mosques to focus on worship whenever Ramadan falls within the period of exam. I don’t even think our wives and mothers should be cooking in Ramadan, especially in the evening, so that they will not faint. For, they must have been exhausted by then. I know Ramadan fasting is essentially prescribed to make us pious and conscious of our Creator. Our clerics should explain to us if Ramadan is (or was) prescribed to make us lazy.
If any state in Nigeria would shut down its schools because of Ramadan, I don’t think it should be from the North. Except if we could convincingly deceive ourselves that those ugly statistics about our backwardness in education are false. I am happy that of all the clerics I have listened to, including MURIC and The Supreme Council for Shari’a in Nigeria (SCSN), none claims it is Islamic injunction to shut down schools during Ramadan. All they would say is that Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) would stop teaching and would discharge all his students to focus on worship during Ramadan. This is a respected salaf (a predecessor) whose practice many of our clerics ignore because they are busy teaching tafsir in Ramadan and holding public lectures while students are prevented from going to school to “focus” on “worship.” Many contradictions!
This should not be seen as defending CAN, it is just that CAN, in my humble opinion, on this issue, has a point. And when I wrote against CAN on its jaundiced antagonism towards female Muslim students donning hijab and its criticism of El-Rufai’s four workdays in Kaduna State, it is not that I hate CAN or love MURIC. It is just that CAN (then) had no point but MURIC (then) had point.
Should I be the only Muslim holding this view, I don’t care. I understand that in an environment like ours where opinions are influenced by bigoted and acrobatic religiosity, my points might be pointless. I just have to make them. If they change nothing, at least it should be on record that the points are made.
In case all other Muslim majority states shut down schools for five weeks in next year Ramadan just to spite CAN, all I can do is to shake my head in sympathy for Muslim pupils. May we get it right. Ramadan Kareem.
Abdulkadir Salaudeen
salahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com
