Zaria clash: Indicted Shi’ites must not go unpunished —Sharia council

The Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria ( SCSN) has said  members of the Shiites who were indicted in the December 12 to 14, 2015, clash with the Nigerian Army in Zaria must face the full wrath of the law because Shi’ism is not Islam.

In a communique read to journalists shortly after its meeting in Kaduna, on Sunday, the chairman of SCSN,  Sheikh Yusuf Sambo Rigachikun, said the Shiites must be  punished for their role in to clash, because according him, their (Shiites) attitude towards the Army was unIslamic.

Sheikh Rigachikun noted that even before the report of the panel of inquiry that looked into the clash,  the Islamic sect showed much signs of guilt,  stressing that the fact that they boycotted the commission of inquiry proved  they were already at fault.

This was even as he called on Christian leaders in the country to guard against inflammatory statements,  saying it was unchristianly for  leaders to urge their members to carry arms against their Muslim counterpart.

The communique read, “From the delivered lectures, it has become obvious that Shi’ism is not Islam and Muslims should acquire the knowledge of their religion, so that they are not derailed from the true teachings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

The statement added that Muslims should also respect and rever all the companions of the Prophet (SAW), and should protect their reputation.

“From the little we heard about the submitted report of the commission of inquiry into the Military/Shi’ites clash last December, the council calls on the government to release the White Paper on the crisis. This will go a long way in curbing the menace of Shi’a in our society.

“The council condemns, in strongest terms, the call by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to its members to take up arms to protect themselves. It’s unbecoming of a body of clergymen to make such unguarded call. Meanwhile, we call on all Muslims to be law-abiding and be vigilant at all times.

“This comment does not only paint a negative picture for the association, but also evince its discomfiture in recent times. This, in part, informs the recent conjecture that the SGF is not a Christian,’’ the statement averred.

“The government of the day, led by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, needs our collective support and prayers to survive these economic turbulent times. We call on all Muslims to be supportive and endure these harsh times which, by Allah’s grace, will be over with time,’’ it added.