TheCable

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) of creating the scarcity of Islamic religious knowledge (IRK) teachers.

In a statement on Monday, MURIC called on the ministry of education to investigate the issue and stop the bid to Christianise its students.

He said people were no longer interested in the “cry about attempts to Islamise Nigeria” because it is obsolete.

The group said this in reaction to the alarm raised by the National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) over what it described as the “brazen” attempt to Islamise.

Ishaq Akintola, president of MURIC, rejected the allegation, describing it as “ false, baseless, deceptive, malicious and provocative”.

“These teachers are not allowed to teach IRK when employed. They are threatened with dismissal and offered alternative subjects to secure their source of daily bread,” the statement read.

“Thus, CAN creates scarcity of IRK teachers by diverting experts in the field to other subjects. On the other hand,

“Christian graduates of any subject under the sky are given juicy offers to drop their core areas to teach CRK. This is how our [cunny] neighbours who are now alleging Islamisation create scarcity by diversion for IRK but ensure proliferation by the same diversion for CRK _parri passu.

“Those clamouring for restructuring have something interesting here. CAN has created a rot in the ministries of education all over the country and restructuring must start from there.”

He accused Christian leaders of raising a false alarm and charged Nigerians to live together as one.

“They have always been shouting wolves where there is none. Warnings against the ‘Islamisation’ of Nigeria is now an old song and nobody is interested any longer,” the statement read.

“Come to think of it. why is the new false alarm coming just after the bloody massacre of an entire Fulani Muslim population in Taraba state?

“What is wrong if the government makes__ Christian religious knowledge compulsory for Christian students while Islamic religious knowledge is also made compulsory for Muslim students? How on earth does that translate to Islamising Nigeria?”

Advising that the military be kept out of civilian matters, MURIC said retired Christian generals ought to be cautioned.

“Besides, what is this idea of using former military generals to intimidate the country in an issue involving religion?” the group asked.

“When last did Muslims use their own generals to make noise? Must we flex military muscle over a civil matter? why the emphasis on a statement “issued by retired military generals and Christian leaders? Why do Christian leaders always mobilise their army generals? This attitude is suggestive of subtle intimidation and coercion.

“We declare clearly, categorically and unequivocally that Nigerian Muslims are not in any way moved by this subtle threat. Who is afraid of the northern Christian elders forum? Count Nigerian Muslims out. We appeal to CAN to allow Nigerians to work together as compatriots and without religious bias.

“Only thus can we forge a truly genuine nation where rewards for citizens are based on potentials and performance rather than affiliation to a church, a mosque or a tribe.

“Allow merit to be the deciding factor.”