Sharia Council condemns attack on Christian man for not fasting

The Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria, Kaduna State Chapter, on Sunday declared that the attack on one Francis Emmanuel for eating during the Ramadan was not Islamic. The Chairman of the council, Yusuf Rigachikun, stated this when he led other members of the council to St. Gerard’s Catholic Hospital, Kaduna, where the victim is currently recuperating. The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Emmanuel, a carpenter, was attacked with knives and other dangerous weapons by unknown persons on Tuesday in Kakuri, Kaduna, for eating during the fasting period. Represented by Tukur Abdussalal, a member of the council, Rigachikun said that the council was “upset” after receiving the news of the ugly incident and decided to visit and console the victim. “We are deeply sorry that this has happened. It is not Islamic and we condemn it. “We received the news with disbelief and decided as a council to come and console you and share in your pains,” he told Emmanuel. He pointed out that that as a Christian, the victim had nothing to do with Islamic practices, adding that there was no basis for the attack. “Even if it was a Muslim that decided to eat during Ramadan, no one has the right to attack him. The best any one can do is to sue such person to Sharia Court for appropriate action. “In fact, Islam did not forbid eating during Ramadan in the first place to have warranted such ugly incident. “Whatever any Muslim decided to do, fasting or no fasting, is for himself,” Rigachukun explained. Also speaking, the Secretary of the council, Abdulrahman Hassan, appealed to members of the public to desist from taking laws into their hands. “The action of these people is not Islamic and therefore unacceptable in Islam; even Prophet Mohammed warned that there is no compulsion in Islam,” Hassan said. The council presented a cash donation of N100,000 as assistance to the victim and wished him quick recovery. Receiving the donation on behalf of the family, Paul Emmanuel, elder brother of the victim, thanked the council for the gesture. “Acts of kindness and affection like this are what we need to promote peaceful coexistence,” he said. Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Wednesday visited Emmanuel and directed the police to fish out the perpetrators of the attack. He warned that government would not tolerate religious violence and criminality. NAN

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