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USAfrica VIEWPOINT by FUBARA DAVID-WEST
Nigeria's Sharia law and rights
Special to USAfrica The Newspaper, Houston
USAfricaonline.com,
The Black
Business Journal and NigeriaCentral.com
The issue of the implications of the Sharia law in Nigeria's
nascent democracy has been a heated issue for debate. Hence, I'll
address the issue in this maiden launch of my column for
USAfricaonline.com (some of 
which
will appear in our print edition of USAfrica The Newspaper where I
started contributing since 1996).
Only a few weeks ago, on CNN Internation's Q&A, Nigeria's president retired gen. Olusegun Obasanjo appeared on the program (as did USAfrica's Publisher Chido Nwangwu, who is an analysts on CNN Interntaional). The following comments by Obasanjo is revelaing and has opened up room for further discussions. We'll run excerpts from the CNN interview in bold text, and my commentary will follow:
CNN International anchor VERJEE: Let's talk about Sharia law in Nigeria. Do you believe that state governments in Nigeria should have the right to impose Sharia law?
OBASANJO: Of course. We have Sharia law in the constitution. Sharia has always been part of our life in Nigeria, and we have a federal form of government where you have the state governments being able to make their own laws. That's why they have their own executive. They have their own legislative. And they even have their own judiciary. That is what we have, and within the constitution they have the power to make law and to sustain their law.
VERJEE: As you say, a key element is Sharia law embodied in the constitution of Nigeria, but the imposition of that law, many say, is creating divisions within the country, causing thousands of Christians, for example, to flee. We've seen cases of sentencing of women to death by stoning, really dividing the country, creating religious strife.
OBASANJO: Well, the point really is this: one thing is to say that a particular judgment has been given. Another thing is to say that that particular judgment has been carried out. Log on for full text here:
But I believe that every state legislative assembly has the right to make some wrong-headed laws. I think it is time for our courts to assert their right to interprete laws as they relate to rights in our constitution. This is even more urgent in light of our past experiences with tyrannic regimes. Every religious people have a right to believe; what they do not have a right to do is to exercise plenary powers over individuals within a constitutional realm.
Let us say that you can practice Sharia institutions within the mosque and your immediate environment, but citizens have a right to challenge your ability to adhere to those practices outside of your mosque. The international coloration of these primitive practices of calling and/or executing via stoning another human being also make Nigeria (or any place, for that matter) look really backward!
U.S., Iraq the economy and politics
It is a saving grace for the U.S. that in times of policy
confusion and atavistic foreign-policy activism there are a few media
networks able to, at least, highlight contrarian positions. The truth
is that Iraq is not the 
mortal
threat to the US that the militaristic ideologues around the
President have convinced him that it is.
The Sadam Hussein regime is despotic and cruel in many ways but it is not suicidal in a way to suggest that it will launch an attack or even threaten the U.S.
A Machiavelian analysis of the situation might aver that the administration is rushing to open up another front in the war on terrorism to steer the public attention from a dismal economic outlook on the home front and from the fact that a year after the terrorist outrage in New York and Washington D.C., we still cannot account for the top leaders of Al- Qaeda.
One year later, we see no end to the U.S-led war in Afghanistan to
destroy that terrorist organization. Instead, President George Bush
is leading the charge for another one in Iraq with a variety of
reasons. I am not yet willing to accuse the administration of wagging
the dogs of war to deflect attention from its poor performance on
pocket-book issues. What is clear is that Bush and his team are on a
wrong policy tangent.
David-West is a
contributing editor and columnist for USAfricaonline.com and USAfrica
The Newspaper where his columns will appear; online on Thursdays.
October 10, 2002
|
Sharia, Sex and hypocrisy of
Gendered
Justice.
By Chika Unigwe,
columnist for
USAfricaonline.com
22 million Africans HIV-infected, ill with AIDS while African leaders ignore disaster-in-waiting Why Colin Powell brings gravitas, credibility and star power to Bush presidency.  AFRICA
AND THE U.S. ELECTIONS Beyond
U.S. electoral shenanigans, rewards and dynamics of a
democratic republic hold
lessons
for
African politics.
Osama bin-Laden's goons threaten Nigeria and  Africa's
stability
What
has Africa
to do with September 11
terror?
Africans
reported
dead
in terrorist
attack at
WTC
September
11
terror and
the ghost of things to
come....
Will religious conflicts be the time-bomb for Nigeria's latest transition to civilian rule? Conflicting
emotions, feeling of disappointment, timing of revelation
that Rev. Jackson fathered a child with former aide lead to
charges of "right-wing
orchestration."
THE
FIRST
POPE of RECENT
AFRICAN
ORIGIN?
To our Brother Cardinal
Arinze: May your pastoral lineage endure!
Nigeria's Presidential Election: Is it just for the Highest Bidder? Wong is wrong on Blacks in Houston city jobs Why is 4-year old Onyedika carrying a placard against killings in Nigeria? How Nigeria's Islamic Sharia crises will affect the U.S. USAfrica INTERVIEW "Why African Catholics are concerned about crises, sex abuse issues in our church" - a frank chat with ICCO's Mike Umeorah Why Bush should focus on dangers facing Nigeria's return to democracy and Obasanjo's slipperyslide DEMOCRACY'S WARRIOR Out of Africa. …The cock that crows in the morning belongs to one household but his voice is the property of the neighborhood. -- Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah. An editor carries on his crusade against public corruption and press censorship in his native Nigeria and other African countries. By John Suval. Should Africa debates begin and end at The New York Times and The Washington Post? No Johnnie Cochran will soon learn that defending Abacha's loot is not as simple as his O.J Simpson's case. By Chido Nwangwu The Economics of Elections in Nigeria HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY How far, how deep will
Nigeria's human rights commission go?
Rtd. Gen. Babangida trip as emissary for Nigeria's Obasanjo to Sudan raises curiosity, questions about what next in power play? COUNTERPOINT
'Why is
Bill Maher spreading racist nonsense about
HIV/AIDS
and Africa
on ABC?
USAfricaonline
LITERATURE As
Chinua Achebe
turned 70, Africa's preeeminent statesman Nelson
Mandela, Toni Morrison, Wole Soyinka, Ali Mazrui, Leon
Botstein (president of Bard College), Ojo Maduekwe, Emmanuel
Obiechina, Ngugi wa Thinong'o, Micere Mugo, Michael
Thelwell, Niyi Osundare, and an army of some of the world's
leading writers and arts scholars joined to pay tribute to
him at Bard College in New York. (Achebe is in pix
with Morrison). Meanwhile, the Nobel committee has,
again, chosen a relatively less known (globally-speaking)
Chinese novelist, Gao Xingjian, rather than Achebe for the
Literature prize. Achebe was seen as a top favorite for the
2000 award. What the Swedish  Nobel
committee will not give, Achebe has, for well over 30 years,
won in the hearts of millions in 53 languages. By Chido
Nwangwu
Literary giant Chinua Achebe returns "home" from U.S., to love and adulation of community Hate groups' spin by Lamar Alexander benefits anti-Blacks, anti-Semites, and racists Annan, power and burden of the U.N The Civilianizing of African soldiers into Presidents At 39, Nigerians still face dishonest stereotypes such as Buckley's, and other self-inflicted wounds. JFK Jr.: Death of a Good Son 'Why is Bill Maher spreading racist nonsense about HIV/AIDS and Africa on ABC? National Summit on Africa, Congresswoman Jackson-Lee hold policy forum in Houston '100 Black Men are solutions-oriented' says Thomas Dortch, Jr., Richard Johnson and Nick Clayton II as they share perspectives with USAfrica's founder on the national organization. ARTS
The Life
and Irreverent times of Afrobeat
superstar,
FELA
 TRIBUTE
Tanzania's founding
president Julius Nyerere
Community Service Awards bring African-American, American policy and business leaders together with African community at Texas Southern University 110 minutes with Hakeem Olajuwon Cheryl Mills' first class defense of Clinton and her detractors' game |
Steve Jobs and Apple represent the
future of digital
living. By Chido Nwangwu
Apple announces Titanium, "killer apps" and other ground-breaking products. iTunes makes a record 500,000 downloads. The coup in Cote d'Ivoire and its implications for democracy in Africa. By Chido Nwangwu (Related commentary) Coup in Cote d'Ivoire has been in the waiting. By Tom Kamara Nigerian stabbed to death in his bathroom in Houston. DEMOCRACY'S
WARRIOR Out
of Africa.
…The
cock that crows in the morning belongs to one household but
his voice is the property of the neighborhood. -- Chinua
Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah. An editor carries on
his crusade against public corruption and press
censorship
in his native Nigeria and other African countries. By
John Suval.
Biafra-Nigeria war and history get fresh, critical look from a survivor. By Alverna Johnson and Vivian Okeke. 'Biafra: History Without Mercy' - a preliminary note. By Chido Nwangwu ODUMEGWU EMEKA OJUKWU:"It was simply a choice between Biafra and enslavement! And, here's why we chose Biafra" Biafra: From Boys to Men. By Dr. M.O. Ene Johnnie Cochran will soon learn that defending Abacha's loot is not as simple as his O.J Simpson's case. By Chido Nwangwu Should Africa debates begin and end at The New York Times and The Washington Post? No Nelson Mandela, Tribute to the world's political superstar and Lion of Africa Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's burden mounts with murder charges, trials CONTINENTAL
AGENDA Bush's position on
Africa
is "ill-advised."
The position
stated by Republican presidential aspirant and Governor of
Texas, George Bush where  he
said that "Africa will not be an area of priority" in his
presidency has been questioned by
USAfricaonline.com Publisher Chido
Nwangwu. He added that Bush's "pre-election position was
neither validated by the economic exchanges nor
geo-strategic interests of our two continents."
These views were stated
during an interview CNN's anchor Bernard Shaw and senior
analyst Jeff Greenfield had with Mr. Nwangwu on Saturday
November 18, 2000 during a special edition of 'Inside
Politics 2000.' Nwangwu,
adviser to the Mayor of Houston (the 4th largest city in the
U.S., and immigrant home to thousands of Africans) argued
further that "the issues of the heritage interests of 35
million African-Americans in Africa, the volume and value of
oil business between between the U.S and Nigeria and the
horrendous AIDS crisis in Africa do not lend any basis for
Governor Bush's ill-advised
position which
removes Africa from fair consideration" were he to be
elected president. By Al Johnson
HUMAN
RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY How far, how deep will
Nigeria's human rights commission go?
Rtd. Gen. Babangida trip as emissary for Nigeria's Obasanjo to Sudan raises curiosity, questions about what next in power play? 110 minutes with Hakeem Olajuwon Cheryl Mills' first class defense of Clinton and her detractors game
PetroGasWorks
Shell picks Leslie
Mays
as VP Global Diversity
EndGame in Kinshasa: U.S must boot Mobutu for own interest, future of Zaire and Africa Why Powell's mission to the Middle East failed. By Jonathan Elendu 
Will the rash of Ethnic
Violence
disrupt
Nigeria's effort at Democracy?
Arafat's duplicity, terrorism at the heart of Israeli-Palestinian crises. By Barry Rubin Nigerian stabbed to death in his bathroom in Houston. Nigeria at 40: punish financial thuggery, build domestic infrastructure Is Obasanjo really up to Nigeria's challenge and crises? By USAfricaonline.com contributing editor Ken Okorie. Commentary appears from NigeriaCentral.com BULLET
Versus BALLOT The bloody stain
of military coup, on Friday December 24, 1999, sullied the
once unique history of democratic rule in the beautiful and
historically democratic, French-speaking west African
country of Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) by General Robert
Guei (inset). USAfricaonline
report
and
commentary.
COMMUNITY
INTEREST  Why
the revisionist forces of racist oppression in South Africa
should not
be allowed to
intimidate Ron and Charlayne Gault.
SOUTH
AFRICA
Nigeria, Cry My Beloved Country
BUSINESS
Dr. Anaebonam's
strategic vision for BREEJ
is a model for business excellence and empowerment.
Pope John Paul, Abacha and Nigeria's Christians TRANSITION General Tunde Idiagbon: A nationalist, an iron-surgeon departs Abiola's sudden death and the ghost of things to come Gen. Shehu Musa Yar'Adua's prison death, Nigeria and The Ghost of Things to come ..... Soni Egwuatu, Houston businessman, joins his ancestors |
|||||
Impeachment
process shows Nigerian democracy "is alive... being
tested." Nigeria's president retired Gen.
Olusegun 
democratic way, which is not easy, would probably have been
done by taking arms or by -- with bullets. So, but with
democracy, of course, some people feel that this is the way
this should be, and then I have an opportunity to defend
myself. There is discussion. There is dialogue. There is a
decision. There is fairness." He made
these
Africa
suffers the scourge of the 
What has
Africa to do with 
