20th March, 2025
PRESS RELEASE:
MURIC
SLAMS ADELEKE UNIVERSITY FOR DISRUPTING FASTING
An Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim
Rights Concern (MURIC), has alleged that Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State,
has been disrupting Ramadan activities of its Muslim students. The organization
also accused the tertiary institution of forcing Muslim students to attend
church programmes.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on
Thursday, 20th March, 2025 by the Executive Director of MURIC,
Professor Ishaq Akintola.
He said:
“The headquarters of the Muslim Rights Concern
(MURIC) has received several complaints of attempts to tactically de-Islamise and
forcefully christianise Muslim students in Adeleke University, Ede.
“The methods adopted by the
university to achieve this objective include compelling attendance of all
students (including the Muslims among them) at the university’s church
programmes. The supererogatory prayer held in Ramadan evenings (tarawih) was reportedly disrupted two days ago and the
students were warned never to try it again.
“These are signs of religious intolerance. We have
said it times without number that Christians in the South weaponize education
to convert Muslims. As far back as year 2019, MURIC leveled serious allegation
of religious persecution against Adeleke University. We also asked the National
Universities Commission (NUC) to investigate the allegation.
“We said, ‘Adeleke University is a serial violator of
Allah-given fundamental rights of Muslim students. This institution forces
Muslim students to attend church on Sundays. It makes it mandatory for students
living in the hostel to attend church every Wednesday and Saturday.
“We continued, ‘The practice of any other faith on campus except
Christianity is banned. Muslim students must not be seen observing Salat. Hijab
is a taboo in Adeleke University. Yet all these Islamophobic practices are
smartly hidden from prospective students of the institution until they have
paid the exorbitant school fees and can no longer withdraw.’
“‘In particular, we invite NUC to take a look at
the students’ handbook of this institution, especially pages 7, 49, 50, 56 and
60. These pages, to our mind, contain rules that infringe on the religious
freedom of Muslim students. As a regulating body, NUC has a duty to intervene
in this matter as part of its oversight function on Nigeria’s universities’, our
2019 statement added (https://dailypost.ng/2019/06/18/adeleke-university-accused-forcing-muslims-attend-church/).
“We are deeply worried that five years down the
line, Adeleke University continues to victimize, stereotype and traumatize Muslim
students. Though not all, other private universities in the South are also neck
deep into these obnoxious and ignoble practices and MURIC has cried out against
them before.
“In other climes, mere exposure of this kind of
inhuman and denigrating treatment in the media is enough to spur the relevant
agencies to action. Why is that of Nigeria different? What are the public
affairs of those agencies doing? What is NUC waiting for? This issue is already
in the public domain and NUC is part of this larger society. The Muslim parents
who reported are taxpayers. They want this investigated.
“We remind Muslim parents and
Muslim students of our warning issued in 2022 asking them to avoid Christian
private universities (https://www.ripplesnigeria.com/muric-warns-muslims-to-avoid-christian-owned-private-universities/).
“We are aware that Christian
private universities deceive Muslim students into committing themselves to
their institutions by hiding their religious prejudices until the Muslim
students pay school fees and are fully registered. This is an area in which oversight
authorities should show interest. Private universities must manifest
transparency and this should begin from showing their religious inclination.”
#AdelekeUniversity
#NationalUniversitiesCommission
#WakeUpNUC
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Founder/Executive Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
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