Update: Nigerian religious court bans the use of Facebook and Twitter

By: Victor Ulasi, Nigeria

An Islamic religions court, known as Sharia court in Magijin Gari at Kaduna state, Nigeria has ban the use of Facebook and Twitter accounts of Civil Right Congress, stating that the use of Facebook and Twitter by the human right activist organization to comment on Sharia is totally unacceptable.

The Civil Right Congress was said to have written some comments on Facebook and Twitter on the arm amputation of one Mallam Bellow Jangebe some ten years ago by the Sharia Court in Zamfara state, Nigeria.

The court ruled on the grounds that Facebook and Twitter is an unholy place to discuss the issues that has to deal with Sharia law, and stated that the single act of Civil Right Congress to discuss Sharia on Facebook and Twitter is to undermine the teachings of Islam and to breach the co-existing peace in the country.

The President of the Association of Muslim Brotherhood of Nigeria, Ustaz Safiyan Abubakar made it known that on no grounds should the internet be used to discuss Sharia in such place that is abominable to God, or neither is anyone allowed to make mockery to Islam just because he is a human right activist.

“We are not against Civil Right Congress discussing about the arm amputation of Mallam Bellow Jangebe in anyway because the amputation was politically inspired but the discussion of Sharia been supreme or not supreme and deciding if the Sharia is right or wrong is totally unacceptable because Islam is Supreme and Sharia is been practiced by the teachings of Islam. Facebook and Twitter are unholy place to talk about Sharia, doing that is an intimidation and undermining of the teachings of Islam. Only a foul gives to dog what is holy,” Abubakar added.

On the other hand, the President of Civil Right Congress made it known that the ban of Facebook and Twitter account is a total violation of Freedom of Expression and human right. He disagreed with the judgment, “What has happened today shows that we have no freedom of expression in Nigeria and the Sharia Court has ruled in the best way they can but it does not end here, we will appeal the case at the upper Sharia Court and if we have no progress their then, we will take it to the Federal level.

In his ruling, the Judge Honorable Mall Lawal said that the blogging by Civil Right Congress on Facebook and Twitter was unjust, and no one is allowed to discuss Sharia Law outside the court of law and if the CRC was unsatisfied with the judgments of Sharia he should protest it in the court of law but blogging about Sharia on Facebook and Twitter is unacceptable.

The Sharia Court thereby ordered the Civil Right Congress to close its Facebook, Twitter account with immediate effect, and henceforth seize the discussion of Sharia in such on unholy place like Facebook and Twitter. This action by Sharia Court was against the Section 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that grants the freedom of expression.

Brought to you by, WorldNewsVine – We’re What Free Speech is All About