President General, Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa?ad Abubakar III, has expressed support for the establishment of an Independent Shariah Arbitration Panel in Ekiti and Oyo States.

The sultan also expressed concern about what he said is the high spate of intolerance and disregard for the rights of Muslims, especially in the southern part of the country.

The monarch noted that Muslims in Southwest have been denied their constitutional rights to a Shariah Court of Appeal.

Speaking through a statement on Wednesday by the Deputy National Legal Adviser of NSCIA, Imam Haroun Eze, the traditional ruler lamented the unwarranted resistance and objections from political and traditional quarters to the Muslim community?s efforts to establish an Independent Shariah Arbitration Panel in Ekiti.

He said this was coming barely few weeks after the announcement on the inauguration of a Shariah panel in Oyo State generated ?unnecessary anxiety thereby leading to its indefinite postponement.

?The Independent Arbitration Panel, which is a voluntary platform designed solely for the resolution of civil and marital disputes among consenting Muslims, was to fill the inexplicable vacuum created by the failure of the political elite in SouthWestem Nigeria to establish Shariah Courts, as allowed by the Nigerian Constitution, in South-Westem states, despite the huge population of Muslims in the region,? the Sultan said.

According to the monarch, such scenarios as the denial of the rights of female students to wear the Hijab despite a Supreme Court judgement are nothing but calculated attempts to prevent Muslims in the region from practicing their faith.

The Sultan explained that Arbitration and the Shariah Court of Appeal, just like the Customary Court of Appeal (which all of them have) are provided for in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (see section 275), confirming the legality of both initiatives.

?The NSCIA strongly supports the establishment of Independent Shariah Arbitration Panel in Ekiti and Oyo States for the purpose so intended, especially where the Muslims in the states have been denied their constitutional rights to a Shariah Court of Appeal in all the states of the South-Western Nigeria,? he said.

?The Council cannot find any legal justification for the unnecessary alarm and unwarranted resistance. All the states in the North have Shariah Courts and some, in addition, have Customary Courts.

?The Council calls on the Governors and Traditional Authorities in the southern part of the country, particularly the South-West, to ensure that the constitutional rights of Muslims in their respective domains are preserved and protected. While others are allowed to live, Muslims should also be let live,? he added. (Courtesy, excluding headline, The Guardian)

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