I am an ordinary citizen,a human with a perchant for doing the right thing, a human being with compassion for fellow human beings .As human I have principles guiding my behavioural conduct but that does not prevent me from speaking up when a fellow human being is being led to the gallows.Moreso when that human person is not a criminal in the real sense
Yahaya Shariff-Aminu,is a human being,first of all who has the right like every other citizen, That right empowers him to go to school, and to freely express his opinion. .That right guarantees him the freedom to associate as well as the right to worship and live.
On August 10 2020, an upper Shari’a Court in Kano presided over by Khadi Aliyu Mohammed Kani, handed down death sentence to Yahaha,a 22 year old boy for blasphemy against Muslim leader, Prophet Mohammed.
The offence for the blasphemy was a song reportedly titled” I have not heard” which implied that a Senegalese, Ibrahim Niasse, pivotal to the spread of the Ibrahimiyya Tijaniyya ,a sect which the singer belonged was more important than Prophet Mohammed.A sentiment that grossly undermines the core foundation of Islam.
However with a world that is fast changing,it requires that decision makers in all spheres including religious establishments follow the dynamics of the trajectory of the world by changing their perceptions. Those who are also advocating for the hanging of the young man should also change their perceptions in line with the changing world.
Yahaya at 22 is a boy,whose God’s given talent is singing. ln course of this writing, I researched to find out if he was well educated to know what the laws prescribed and I found out that it was a No and I asked why?
Why because at 22, he ought to be through with University Education if he came from a privileged background but my findings revealed otherwise. He is a poor boy who sings to enable him some earnings to existential living.
By sentencing him to death, Yahaya is already a walking corpse knowing the way Islamic laws are. The section of the penal code which stipulates the death sentence was made by Man and as such is subject to appeal and even change,which is why we appeal that authorities concerned should tamper justice with mercy.
As Nigerians, we are people with conscience, feeling the pain of one another. It is not surprising that Yahaya’s dilemma since August 10 has resonated across the length and breath of the country.
At a time when Insecurity and too much of killing is going on with most of those responsible not being caught and getting off the hook,it won’t be fair to execute a young man who did no stealing,no Kidnapping,no killing to have his life summarily cut down.
It is true that the Islamic law under which he is being charged, recommends such a punitive measure and given the intervention of all well meaning people including some moslems,it would make sense to grant some amnesty, some forgiveness to the young singer.
Of course in crafting that song, the young man may not have intended by any means to bring Islam to ridicle.In this times of advancement of society,it sounds awkward that such a person,a talented singer, will be sentenced to death on account of a song,a gift that nature has given him.
At a time like this,let us remember the rule that says that Man is not made for the law.The law is made for the man and only man can alter the prescription of the law.Let us remember , The maxim which states “Treat others as you want to be treated’ Yahaya should not die whereas people who have committed bigger crimes are moving freely.
There are people who are corrupt with swords of Damocles hanging by their necks yet no court or religion has fished them out for execution.So why do it to a poor boy who only sing to feed himself?
If one were to ask what sustainable development program has the Kano government or the federal government put in place to lift people out of poverty? The answer is obviously a capital No.The federal government has initiated programmes no doubt, however some of those programmes lacked the capacity to lift at least 10% of the jobless youths out of poverty.
The lingering hardship on Nigerians over the years notwithstanding,they have moved on looking for the best way to make ends meet knowing that it would be a tall dream waiting for government to provide employment opportunities for them.
As said, the times we are are difficult and call for caution, empathy and forgiveness and the case of young Yahaya Shariff-Aminu is not an exception.
Many across the world,many moslems who may not even dare to express their real opinions in the open are watching and only those who are Islamic scholars,goverments lawyers and other influential people can make contributions to a matter like this.
Islam means peace, and Islam preaches forgiveness and If Islam preaches forgiveness, Now is the time for adherents of the Islamic faith to come together and forgive a 22 year old.
Of what benefit will it be if this 22 year old is allowed to hang? Even in our country, increasingly, there are campaigns for life sentences in place of hanging.And it would make sense if at a time like this, when this young man has unwittingly sinned against Islam,it would be nice if he is sentenced to life imprisonment.As bad as life imprisonment is,it is still better than hanging.
It is necessary not to deny the victim the right to appeal.Our laws allow for appeals up to the supreme court.Since it is a matter of life and death,it will be neccessary to grant this young singer the opportunity to fight for his life.
Men like Ganduje,governor of Kano state who expressed willingness to sign the execution warrant has already been criticised of corruption and corruption is one of the ills criticised by many religions including Islam, and Ganduje who now seeks to sign the warrant for the singer to die,is also supposed to realise that a man is innocent until he is completely proven guilty.
And so, allowing the young man access to lawyers, allowing him a right to fight for his life is something that governor Ganduje and others like him should do in a secular country like ours
Agreed that there exists the penal law in the north which derives power from Islamic injuctions yet ,it wont be proper to waste the life of the young singer. He can be flogged as Islamic law allows, he can be sanctioned as the law permits, but at a time like this,it would be a wrong signal to send.if he were to be killed on account of a mere song.
Even Boko Haram is known to have murdered a lot of defenceless citizens,yet this country has shown mercy.Some of them have been deradicalised and sent home.They have been asked to go home and sin no more.And so we can also extend the same gesture to the young musician who hasn’t denied his love for Islam,who is born into an Islamic family. He too can be cautioned and allowed to go home.
At the end of the day, the one who has capacity to judge who has committed a sin is Almighty Allah.It would be wrong for men believing rightly or wrongly in the notion of Allah to take the life of another.
The old practice for an eye for an eye should not be encouraged in a dynamic world as ours.
It is our expectaton that the silence of those in position of suthority on the matter is not consent
to the death sentence but a silent move towards turning the singer’s sentence around.
The clock is ticking for the expiration of his appeal and we hoped that the young man who is a first offender will have a reason to thank God for his life and sin no more.
