Muslim Rights Concern protests Muslims being forced to kneel down and pray at immigration office

ISLAMIC pressure group Muslim Rights Concern (Muric) has asked the federal government to intervene in the religious crisis at the Nigerian Immigration Service offices in Ikoyi where non-Christian members of staff are being forced to participate in morning prayers.

Muric director Professor Ishaq Akintola, has complained that its headquarters had been inundated with reports that Nigerians who visit the immigration office in Ikoyi, Lagos early in the mornings, were being made to partake in Christian prayers and evangelical devotion without any regard for their religious leanings. He has asked the federal government to intervene as the Muslim staff there need protection from the Christian zealots.

Professor Akintola said: “The Ikoyi office of immigrations has been taken over by Christian fanatics who force everyone who arrives early to join in Christian prayers. They insist that there must be morning devotion before starting work every morning and the fact that they have Muslims among their staff and applicants means nothing to them.

"They invoke spirits and imaginary angels, they shout and scream at the top of their voices and it is madness in official quarters. Muslims need protection in this country, so we cannot just stand by watching as Muslims are embarrassed and denigrated by overzealous Christian officials in immigration office. "

He added that it is not only ridiculous but also unacceptable and it is hard to believe that Ikoyi immigration office is owned by the Nigerian government as it currently looks more like a Christian evangelical office. Professor Akintola said the matter must be investigated as all government offices are there for staffers to work and for visitors to receive quality service.

“When did Nigeria descend to this level? How can a government department of such high status become a tool in the hands of gymnastic crusaders? We are demanding the immediate cessation of this rubbish.

“How can we get that quality service when you force us to go down on our knees contrary to our belief? By the way, how can we allow civil servants to mess up tax payers for crying out loud? No serious nation will allow its work force to descend into the labyrinths of mythical religiousity and Treasure Island miracle mentality,” Professor Akintola stressed.

Muric affirmed that Nigerian Muslims were tax payers and major stakeholders who deserved quality service. Professor Akintola decried the compulsion of applicants to join in morning devotion of any kind in Ikoyi immigration office in particular and any other government department for that matter.

“This phenomenon is now common in many ministries, parastatals, hospitals, clinics, market places, etc. Some Christian extremists just assume that they own this country and they arrogantly ask everyone to close their eyes in government offices every morning and ask them to kneel down and pray.

“They should be told that Muslims pray in their homes every morning before going to work, so what is the essence of forcing us to pray in the office in Christian fashion? This ignoble practice is common where Christians are heads of department and it happens where Christians are directors but this bedlam must be brought under control," Professor Akintola added.

He lamented the Nigerian irony where there is excessive show of religious devotion without a commensurate level of transparency and accountability in public office. Professor Akintola also asked Nigerians to stop this hypocritical show of piety in criminality asking how we can spend hours on our knees yet are fantastically corrupt.

“If anybody wants to pray in the office, let him or her pray silently and privately. It is an infringement on Allah-given fundamental rights of Muslims to compel them to kneel down and pray in a Christian manner just because the boss in that office is a Christian.

"This is something Muslim bosses will never do and we are demanding immediate stoppage. It is paradoxical that the same Christian bosses and directors who force Muslims to join them in prayer are the same people who spread the misleading propaganda that Nigeria is being Islamised," Professor Akintola added.

He asked how Nigerians can compel people to join in morning devotion but demand bribes from the same people minutes later. According to Professor Akintola, those who waste so much time kneeling down in prayer during working hours do not deserve their full salary because they did not render full service to the country.