MINNA - Mr. Daud Mustapha, National President, Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MLAN) has said that Malam Mohammed Masaba, the man with 86 wives has not insulted Islamic religion as some Muslims claim.
“The religion of Islam has not been insulted in any way, contrary to what the chairman of MLAN said, rather the personality involved has insulted himself.
“What he has done is to insult reason, morals and social justice” Mustapha said while briefing newsmen in Minna.
He added, “Islamic religion is a perfect religion, and everything is done according to its rules.
“You cannot be a half Muslim, it is either you are part of us or not”, he said, adding, “Masaba is not one of us”.
He said that the decision by MLAN to address the press, was to put the records straight about Masaba marrying 86 wives and claiming to be a Muslim.
The MLAN President said that there were some human rights groups planning to support Masaba in the case of his allegedly insulting religious creed, inducing belief of lawful marriage and keeping one Hafsatu Masaba and 85 other women, contrary to Islamic law leveled against him by Niger government.
He said some organisations, particularly some NGOs had decided to support the course of the man “we believe had gone astray”.
Mustapha said Muslim lawyers would view the case from the legal perspective and not from the angle of Islam, “but on moral and social ground.”
He said that every government was responsible to the citizenry and the people also owe government some responsibility.
“This is what the Niger government and Nigerlites have done and we are solidly behind them”, Mustapha said, adding “we have volunteered ourselves to defend this case against Masaba free of charge to the Supreme Court.”
Earlier in his address, Malam Mohammed Isa, the State Chairman of MLAN, said that Masaba has insulted Islamic religion by marrying 86 wives.
“If Islam is insulted, every Muslim has the responsibility to respond”, he said, adding
“this is why we decided to convene this press briefing.”
An Upper Sharia court in Minna presided over by Alhaji Abdulkarim Imam recently sentenced Masaba to 21 days in prison, to enable police investigate allegations of insulting religious creed, inducing belief of lawful marriage ceremony without lawful marriage and keeping one Hafsatu Masaba and 85 other women, contrary to Islamic law.
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