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General News of Thursday, 28 January 2021

Source: www.mynigeria.com

How Sharia law started in Zamfara State, 21 years ago

A Sharia court in Nigeria play videoA Sharia court in Nigeria

Sharia law in Zamfara State came into force 21 years ago after it was introduced to the state, October 27, 1999.

The law, which is an Islamic tradition is derived from the religious precepts of Islam, particularly the Quran and the hadith.

Ahmed Sani Yerima, the governor of Zamfara state in the year 2000 introduced the law, after which eleven other states in the Northern parts of Nigeria with a high population of Islamic inhabitants followed suit.

Some of these states were the Kano and Kaduna State.

The law, however, wasn't introduced without opposition. Lives were lost as Christians and other religious factions stood against it in protest.

Sharia law has been described by many as a barbaric act as it goes beyond the basic human rights of the victims.

Quite recently, Kano based musician, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu was sentenced to death by hanging for blaspheming against the Prophet Muhammad.

According to an upper Sharia court in the Hausawa Filin, the 22-year-old circulated a song on the popular messaging app, WhatsApp in March 2020. The court said the song was blasphemous as it praised an imam from the Tijaniya Muslim brotherhood over the Prophet Muhammad.

UN human rights experts have called on relevant authorities to release Sharif-Aminu but all requests have fallen on deaf ears.

The calls for the ban on Sharia law has become increasingly loud. This is because these laws suppress the rights or freedoms of individuals.