24th July, 2023
PRESS RELEASE:
PULL DOWN YOUR VIDEO IN 7 DAYS OR FACE LEGAL ACTION:
MURIC TELLS DAVIDO
Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, a.k.a. Davido, promoted a new music
video by his new artist, Logos Olori, captioned ‘Jaiye Lo’, on his twitter
handle on Friday, 22nd July, 2023. Meanwhile an Islamic human rights
organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has given Davido and Logos
Olori an ultimatum of seven days to pull down the video or face spiritual or
legal action or both.
MURIC spoke on Monday, 24th July, 2023, via its Founder
and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The statement reads :
“Logos Olori, an artist under David Adeleke, a.k.a. Davido, a
Nigerian singer, recently released a music video with the caption, ‘Jaye Lo’. In
the video, some people dressed in white jalabiyas like Muslims were seen
praying the way Muslims do before launching into dancing as they recited some
Quranic verses and prayed.
“Mats were spread for those praying behind an ‘Imam’ who used the popular
single-prayer rug (sajadah). Those who were praying also read out what
looked like Muslim recitations in Arabic language and prostrated the way
Muslims do in prayer.
“Logos Olori himself was seen sitting on the roof of a mosque-like
building mounted with a horn public address system thus creating the complete impression
of a mosque scenario.
“There is no doubt that the
scene in the music video is the setting of a Muslim prayer session but mixing
it with singing and dancing is utterly wrong in concept and grossly misleading in
content. In like manner, sitting on top of a ‘mosque’ or what looks like it
with the type of loud speaker used on top of mosques is most primitive, extremely
serpentine and categorically unacceptable.
“Thousands of Nigerian Muslims have expressed displeasure with the
new music video and the Nigerian media have published their reactions (https://punchng.com/muslim-fans-knock-logos-olori-davido-over-controversial-video/;
https://leadership.ng/muslim-fans-slam-davidos-signee-logos-oloros-controversial-music-video/;
https://dailypost.ng/2023/07/22/muslims-kick-against-davidos-signee-logos-oloros-offensive-music-video/).
“Our office in particular has been inundated with complaints
against this luciferous music video. Nigerian Muslims find the juxtaposition of
Muslims in prayer session with the same Muslims singing and dancing offensive,
repugnant and provocative.
“Logos Olori’s musical video is insensitive to Muslim feelings while
Davido himself added salt to the injury on the Muslim anatomy by promoting the
video in his tweet. There is no iota of doubt that both men, Davido and his
signee have no modicum of respect for the faith of Islam. They have provoked
millions of Nigerian Muslims.
“We remind Nigerians of several religious riots in the past which
were caused by provocative artworks. Those religious riots claimed hundreds of
lives while properties worth billions of naira were destroyed by angry rioters.
What Davido and Logos Olori have done with this video is equivalent to seeking
a repeat destruction of lives and properties in the country. All level-headed
and right-thinking Nigerians, regardless of their religious affiliations, must
condemn it.
“We therefore alert men of the
Department of State Services to invite both men for questioning to explain why
they chose to produce and promote a musical video capable of igniting anarchy
in Nigeria.
“In the same vein, we invite the
National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and the National
Film And Video Censors Board (NFVCB) to immediately ban the insensitive musical
video captioned ‘Jaye Lo’ by Logos Olori.
“MURIC objects to the lame excuse often given by
Nigerian agencies charged with moderation responsibilities who claim that
separate petitions should be addressed to them by complainants before they can
take action. It does not work that way in saner climes. Nigerian agencies must
be proactive.
“They must spring to action from the moment
attention is drawn to an infraction capable of causing a breach of the peace so
long as the authors of the infringement have been identified and whether or not
the information contained an appeal to the monitoring agency or agencies. The
agencies are, essentially, an integral part of the general public. They should
therefore act without being prompted.
“To expect separate petitions before taking action
is to empower criminals, delay justice and encourage a culture of
procrastination (which is the thief of time). We also believe that such agencies
should be held accountable if trouble breaks out due to their lackadaisical
attitude.
“We hereby
give Davido and Logos Olori seven days ultimatum to pull down the music video or face spiritual or legal
action or both. That video is a mockery of Muslim spiritual life and practice. We
will therefore employ a spiritual weapon on those who attack our spiritual way
of life.
“At this juncture, we call on Nigerian Muslims to start reciting
Al-Qunut after seven days from today, Monday, 24th July, 2023 if the
horrendously offensive video is not pulled down within seven days.
“Nonetheless. we appeal to Muslims
throughout the country to remain calm and law abiding. No Muslim should attack
Davido or Logos Olori. Gone are those days of spontaneous violent reactions. A
social and mental re-engineering campaign has succeeded in changing that
perspective.
“For the avoidance
of doubt and for the sake of microscopic clarity, we assert that we Muslims do
not joke with our religion. Others may, but that is their cup of tea. It
amounts to artistic fanaticism to erode on the freedom and happiness of others
with any kind of artwork.
“It further proves our point that there is fanaticism in
places other than religion. Extreme fanaticism exists in football and music. You
are a fanatic once you love a football team or a music star to the extreme. On
the other hand, a fanatical musician will manifest insensitivity to the faith
of others. To this extent and from this perspective, Logos Olori’s ‘Jaye Lo’ is
an exercise in musical extremism.
“MURIC will not stand akimbo while our religion is desecrated by
those who lack respect for people’s faith. MURIC was instrumental to the banning
of Falz’ ‘This is Nigeria’ video and the shaku shaku drug dance in June 2018.
Logos Olori’s ‘Jaye Lo’ will suffer the same fate.
“Nigerian artists must learn
to leave Muslims alone with their ways of life. We will continue to employ
every legitimate means to stop them in their attempt to ridicule our faith. There
are more than enough themes under the sky for artists to pick.
“We believe that it smirks
of desertification of artistic versatility for any artist to insist on
attacking the faith of any people instead of picking his or her theme from the
rich diversifications which nature has availed all and sundry. A lazy artist
deserves no crown.”
#NAHCONNotToBlame
#KudosNAHCONChair
#SaudiDecentraliseHajjOperations
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
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