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Wednesday, October 6th, 2004 HOME | Previous Page Bafarawa criticises politicisation of Sharia Governor Attahiru Bafarawa of Sokoto State at the weekend in New York decried the politisation of the Sharia legal system in Nigeria. He warned that the exercise was dangerous to the unity of the country, insisting that the Islamic social system was the best for the society. Bafarawa said the propaganda on beheading and amputation as the hallmark of the system amounted to misinterpretation of Sharia. ``Sharia means social justice. Under Sharia, you cannot eat meals with your family while your neighbour is hungry,'' he said, adding that no one would be punished if the rules were followed in the management of society. He admonished Nigerian leaders at all levels to live by good example, stressing that no one could preach Sharia while he steals huge amount from the public treasury for overseas trips. ``I cannot say I am applying Sharia when I take up to $100,000 as estacode for a trip abroad,'' he said. The governor explained that the Islamic legal books never contradicted the country's penal code. He urged non-muslims to study the tenets of Sharia instead of making sweeping condemnation of the entire system. ``The constitution of Nigeria grants the people freedom of religion, and even if Sharia is implemented throughout the country in its totality, it does not affect the christian population,'' he noted. Bafarawa, who dismissed rumours that he had his eyes on the ANPP presidential ticket come 2007, commended the leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo. ``Obasanjo has done wonderfully well,'' he said. The governor condemned recent ethnic crises in the country that had claimed thousands of lives, adding that he was always irritated when some people introduce ethnic and religious sentiments for personal or political gains. ``I don't believe in the non-indigene syndrome. I believe in the unity of Nigeria and peace among the people,'' he said. He explained that he appointed an Igbo, Chief Alpha Umeh, as a member of the State Executive Council on the premise that all who live in Sokoto should be seen as fellow citizens. Copyright� 2004. All Rights Reserved. Independent Newspapers Limited Block5, Plot 7D, Wempco Road, Ogba, P.M.B. 21777, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. www.independentng.com e-mail: [email protected] Designed By Powered By DNet.

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