ISESE DAY: IT IS THEIR RIGHT BUT THEY TOO MUST RESPECT RIGHTS OF OTHERS – MURIC

21^st August, 2025

PRESS RELEASE:

ISESE DAY: IT IS THEIR RIGHT BUT THEY TOO MUST RESPECT RIGHTS OF OTHERS – MURIC

Traditionalists in the South West marked the Isese Day yesterday and they seized the opportunity to ask the Federal Government to declare every 21^st and 22^nd of August as national holidays.

Surprisingly, support for their demand came from the most unexpected quarter, namely, an Islamic human rights group called the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). But the support came with a conditionality, namely, that traditionalists must also respect the rights of others by putting a stop to the declaration of illegal curfews, restricting the movements of others, violation of the rights of women and the secret killing of human beings for ritual sacrifice.

MURIC revealed its support and attached conditions in a statement issued on Thursday, 21^st August, 2025 by its Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.

The statement reads:

“Traditionalists in Yorubaland marked the Isese Day yesterday, 20^th August, 2025. They also used the opportunity to ask the Federal Government to declare every 21^st and 22^nd of August as national holidays.

“This demand is just, legitimate and constitutional. In so far as the other two religions enjoy the right, traditionalists also deserve it. Therefore, we have no objection to their demand.

“It is only a selfish man who will eat his fill and still stop others from eating. It is also only a fanatical worshipper that will freely worship according to his own faith but will disallow others from worshipping according to their own tastes.

“Islam teaches a philosophy of freedom of worship. The popular phrase ‘Lakun diinukunm wa liya diiin’, i.e. ‘For you is your religion, and for me is my religion’ (Glorious Qur’an 109:6) paraphrases the ideological stand of Islam on freedom of religion.

“We therefore declare loud and clear that we support the demand of followers of traditional religion for their own holidays to be known as Isese Day. Their holiday has nothing to do with our religion. It does not disturb us and it does not make us uncomfortable in any way. It is their own day of happiness. We cannot stand in their way on this because we believe in the philosophy of ‘Live and let live’.

“The classic fable of the ‘dog in the manger’ reminds us of a dog which ate its fill in terms of meat and bones but the same dog sat on a stack of hay and continued barking at a hungry cow thereby preventing it from eating. Dogs do not eat grass, yet this overfed dog will not allow a hungry cow to eat grass.

“This fable provides a perfect personification of the characteristics of those who do not need Shari’ah (because they already have common law) but will not allow the Muslims to practice Shari’ah. In the same vein, they will not allow the Muslims to have Hijrah holiday yet they already have New Year holiday. Neither will they allow Muslims to have a work-free Friday even though their Sunday is always free.

“But we cannot afford a tit for tat. As an Islamic human rights organization with a vision to build a nation that respects Allah-given fundamental human rights of all its citizens regardless of their religion, ethnicity or gender, we are duty bound to support all legitimate demands that are based on fundamental human rights regardless of their sources.

“Our vision of Nigeria is that of a nation where people live together in peace and harmony, a nation in which no one is oppressed, where every citizen enjoys Allah-given fundamental human rights regardless of class, creed or ethnicity.

“We are middle-roaders and socio-intellectual jihadists fighting corruption and extravagance, seeking freedom of worship for all, emancipation for the oppressed, justice for the persecuted, jobs for the jobless, food for the hungry, healing for the sick, clothing apparels for the naked and shelter for the homeless. All these are part of principles of Islamic liberation theology.

“That is why we will not be dogs in the manger like some people wish to be. We will support the demand for Isese Day. But with a proviso. We are attaching conditionalities to our support for the declaration of Isese Day based on the legal principle of ‘ex dolo malo non oritur actio‘, i.e. he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.

“If the adherents of Isese religion (also known as traditionalists) demand the recognition or enforcement of their rights, they must first recognize and respect the rights of others. They must remove all the skeletons in their cupboards. They have come to equity. They must come with clean hands. They cannot eat their cakes and still have it.

“In which case all past infringements and encroachments on Allah-given fundamental human rights of others by the same adherents of Isese must stop. Put more succinctly, there shall be no more illegal curfews, no more unlawful restrictions of people’s movements particularly during Oro festivals, no more infractions on the rights of women, no more public flogging of innocent Nigerians by masquerades, no more killing of humans for ritual sacrifices, etc.

“It is noteworthy that Isese followers in Yorubaland are serial violators of people’s rights. They have always committed all the above crimes during their own festivals whereas Muslims and Christians have never placed restrictions on the general public either while worshiping or celebrating.

“We note with serious concern that some state governments in the South West have already recognized Isese Day by declaring yesterday, Wednesday, 20^th August as a holiday. That was rather hasty. We are certain that it was done without consultation and without considering complaints of excesses and blatant impunity lodged by stakeholders. They have forgotten that peace building is a collective affair. The impunity of the Isese group has continued ad infinitum because these state governments have never held the Isese group accountable.

“While there have been several complaints lodged against the excesses of the traditionalists, the governments of the South West as well as the security agents often ignored the complaints (https://theeagleonline.com.ng/no-to-oro-curfew-24-hours-to-salah-muric/; https://dailypost.ng/2019/09/04/islamic-group-blows-hot-oro-cultists-impose-round-clock-curfew-ogun/; https://theeagleonline.com.ng/muric-to-gov-abiodun-stop-illegal-oro-curfew-now-to-avert-bloodshed/; https://www.legit.ng/nigeria/1590153-traditionalistsoro-worshippers-warn-lagosians-stay-indoor-of/).

“Chroniclers’ records are equally replete with internet links on attacks launched by the same Isese adherents on Christians in their churches as well as attacks on Muslims in their mosques (https://www.thecable.ng/one-dead-10-injured-as-traditionalists-clash-with-christians-in-lagos/; https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/04/four-injured-as-traditionalists-attack-worshippers-inside-mosque-2/; https://www.herald.ng/drama-ogun-oro-worshipers/; https://pmnewsnigeria.com/2025/06/15/muric-condemns-masquerade-attack-on-mosque-calls-for-justice/).

“The records are there. Internet does not tell lies. Traditionalists have been a main source of concern on the probability of the outbreak of a major religious crisis in Yorubaland. The above internet links prove it.

“We have shown our readiness to support their demand for Isese Day, the onus is on them to pledge to respect the fundamental human rights of others by stopping all their excesses. We advise the Federal Government not to grant their demand for Isese Day until they provide a written commitment on the above serial infringements. Isese Day: to be or not to be? That is the question. The ball is in Isese’s court.”

#IseseDay

#AttachConditionalities

#SupportIseseDay

Professor Ishaq Akintola,

Founder/Executive Director,

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)