The Arafat Islamic Centre, Ilesha, has commended the Oyo, Osun, Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi and other state governments who declared public holiday for the commencement of the New Hijrah year.
In a statement on Tuesday by Prince Musibau A Adepoju, the Public Relations Officer of Arafat Islamic Centre, said the declaration of the public holiday give sense of belongings to the Muslims on the occasion of the Islamic new year.
According to the statement, “ARAFAT ISLAMIC CENTRE, ILESA greatly appreciate all the State governments that declared public holiday for the commencement of the New Hijrah year 1443AH.
“State Govts like Oyo, Osun in the South West of Nigeria and States like Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi and one or two other state governments in the Northern part of Nigeria made the declaration to give a sense of belongings to the Muslims on the occasion of the New year recognized by Islam and to demonstrate to the Muslims resident in their states that they are well recognized.
“Oyo State Government is specially appreciated as among all the States that declared the publuc holiday, it is the only state that is being governed by a non- muslim, whereas many state governments headed by Muslims in the country didn’t even considered it necessary to declare public holiday for the commencement of Islamic New year.
“The phenomenon of declaring public holidays for religious reasons is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria and has been a practice since colonial era and is still a practice after the colonial era and would continue to be a practice until it pleases God that the practice would change.
“It is on record that public holidays were declared during the colonial era(1861-1960) based on religious reasons as public holidays were declared for Easter, Christmas and Christian New Year.
“In 1960, Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa for the first time declared public holiday for the Muslim Eidul Kabir Celebration.
“Also, from the colonial era, only Sundays being a religious worship day for the Christians were working-free day until 1972 when the regime of Gen. Yakubu Gowon acceded to the agitations of Seventh Day Adventist to include Saturdays as work free day to enable them also to go to their worship centres on Saturdays unhindered. It is for this type of reason that some Muslims are also agitating for declaration of Friday as work- free day for Muslims to also attend Jumat Prayer unhindered.
“Even though the federal government is yet to accede to the agitations to declare the 1st day of Muharram as public holidays, it is on record that it was the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of the State of Osun that first declared 1st day of Muslims New Year as Public Holiday in the year 2013 for the citizen of the State, and that was the first time by any government in Nigeria. Oyo, Kano and some other states commenced the declaration later as from 2014.
“Notwithstanding the declaration of 1st Muharram as public holiday in the year 2019 and 2020 by the Oyo State Government in deference to the legacy of former Gov. Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi (of blessed memory) of declaring Hijrah Public Holiday since 2014, the declaration of Tuesday, 10th August 2021 being equivalent to 1st Muharram 1443 as Public Holiday by His Excellence, Gov. Seyi Abiodun Makinde is very significant and remarkable as it would be the 1st time that a Christian Governor of any State in Nigeria would declared 1st Muharram as Public Holiday for the citizenry and the workforce at a time when the Federal Government headed by a Muslim and many state governments are yet to do similar things.
“It is on this note that ARAFAT ISLAMIC CENTRE, ILESA while appreciating and expressing profound gratitude to all the state governors that have so far recognized the Islamic Calendar for Muslims in their states, is also calling on the Muslims in the various States not to abuse the privilege so that the Federal Govt and various other states would see the needs to recognize the 1st day of Muharram of every year as public holidays.
“ARAFAT ISLAMIC CENTRE, ILESA would continue to collaborate with eminent Muslim leaders and Islamic organizations to continue to agitate for the recognition of the rights of the Muslims in the entire called NIGERIA.
“It is on this note that we are still calling on the various other State Governments and Federal Government of Nigeria to recognize the 1st Day of Muharram of Muslim Calendar as being declared as a Public Holiday in the principle of fairness and justice as enshrined in the Constitution of Nigeria (as amended).”
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