بسم الله الرّحمن الرّحيم

In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

PROFILE OF THE MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN

 

هيئة حقوق المسلمين

 

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is an Islamic human rights organization. MURIC is a pacific organization, peace-loving, law-abiding and dialogue-prone. We detest violence and we denounce terrorism. This is why our motto is: ‘Dialogue, Not Violence’.

 

As a major mechanism in our operations, we open dialogue with institutions, employers and agencies in order to intervene on behalf of aggrieved Muslims. We believe that this is better than resorting to spontaneous violence or open-air demonstration which are capable of being hijacked by hoodlums who are not only ready to destroy valuable properties, but are also most willing to kill and maim. Our adoption of dialogue has often doused tension in Nigeria and reduced the incidence of violence.

 

Apart from the above, MURIC intervenes in socio-economic matters affecting the lives of ordinary Nigerians. We also join anti-corruption agencies in the fight against corruption. In order to give voice to the voiceless, we condemn anti-people acts and commend chivalry in public office.

Our involvement in all the above is in obedience to the divine commandments of Almighty Allah who says:

و لتكن منكم امة يدعون الي الخير ويامرون بالمعروف و ينهون عن المنكر و اولءك هم المفلحون

i.e. Let there arise among you a ‘group’ calling people to righteousness and condemning evil, those are the fortunate ones (Qur’an 3:104).

 

Prophet Luqman (peace be upon him A.S.) ordered his son saying,

يا بني اقم الصلاة  و امر بالمروف و انه عن المنكر

meaning, “Oh my son, observe salat (Muslim prayer), command people to do good and forbid them from committing evil (Qur’an 31:17).

We have simply taken up this mission.

And finally, Allah challenges the believers, saying,

و ما لكم لا تقاتلون في سبيل الله و المستضعفين من الرجال و النساء و الولدان الدين يقولون

ربنا اخرجنا من هده القرية و اجعل لنا من لدنك وليا و اجعل لنا من لدنك نصيرا

Translation: “Why should you not ‘rise’ in the cause of Allah and to defend men, women and children who are oppressed because they are weak and they cry out, “Our Lord! rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from Thee one who will protect, and send to us a helper!” (Qur’an  4:75-76).

Equally germane in this respect is the hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in which he said:

من راي منكم منكرا فليغيره بيده و ان لم يستطع فبلسانه و ان لم يستطع فبقلبه و دلك اضعف الايمان

Whoever sees any wrongdoing among you should try to use his hands to change it. If he cannot use his hands he should use his tongue (i.e. speak out against it), if he cannot do this he should use his heart (i.e. wish it away or pray against it).

We are middle-roaders and socio-intellectual jihadists seeking food for hungry Nigerians, healing for the sick, clothing apparels for the naked and shelter for the homeless. We remain oppressed until the hungry are fed, the sick healed, the naked clothed and the homeless sheltered. We vow not let up in this intellectual jihad until these objectives are achieved.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) was founded in October, 1993, a brain-child of Professor Ishaq Lakin Akintola, of the Islamic Studies Unit, Department of Religions and Peace Studies, Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos, Nigeria.

The organisation came into being against the alarming and discriminating acts against Islam and Muslims in all facets of life not only in Nigeria but all over the world. The fall out of this religious apartheid was the cynicism towards Islam, the suppression of the rights of Muslims and perhaps the most painful of which is the conversion of Muslim children into other religions and the attendant reduction in the population of the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria. Hence MURIC became a child of necessity.

In order to stem this ugly tide as well as to arrest the erratic propaganda and misinformation about Islam and Muslims, MURIC has adopted the philosophy of dialogue as an efficient tool with which to solve these problems, more so since Islam condemns aggression and violence. With this tool therefore, the organisation hopes to project, promote, protect and assert the rights of not only Muslims, but also the rights of all men from the perspective of Islam.