#jaiyeorie
An
Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),
has rejected the examination timetable recently released by the West
African Examinations Council (WAEC) for the conduct of the 2020 West
African Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE).
WAEC
scheduled the examinations to begin on Tuesday, August 11 but MURIC
said the timetable is exclusive, sectional, parochial, insensitive, and
provocative because it clashes with the period of Friday Jumu’ah
prayers.
The group further called the schedule an invitation to anarchy, designed to cause pain to Muslim candidates.
The group stated its position in a press statement issued on Monday by its director and founder, Ishaq Akintola.
The
group said, “WAEC has again fixed some of its subjects for the period
of the Muslim Friday Jumu‘ah prayer in its examination which begins next
week Tuesday 11th August, 2020. These are papers that Muslim candidates
are also expected to take. The implications are very serious.
“WAEC
is deliberately creating a wedge between young Muslims and the mosque.
WAEC is making it impossible for Muslim youth to worship. The
examination body is encroaching upon Allah-given fundamental rights of
Muslim candidates to access freedom of religion as guaranteed by Section
38 (i) & (ii) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria. At best, the examination body is reducing the chances of good
performance among Muslim candidates.
“A quick
glance at the timetable recently released by WAEC shows that there are
at least three clashes between examination periods and Muslim prayers on
Fridays: Management-in-Living (2 pm, Friday 14th August, 2020);
Literature-in-English (2 pm, Friday 21st August); Health Science (1.30
pm, Friday, 4th September).
“This timetable is
exclusive, sectional, parochial, insensitive and provocative. It is an
invitation to anarchy. It is designed to cause pain to Muslim
candidates. It is therefore the handiwork of sadists and anarchists. It
smirks of an anti-Muslim machinery oiled by the passion for hate and
injustice.
“This is in spite of efforts made by
us to guard against this kind of clash. It will be recalled that MURIC
issued a proactive press statement on Tuesday 23rd June, 2020 under the
caption ‘Consider the Friday Question in Your Timetable: MURIC Tells
WAEC’. This press release was expected to remind WAEC of the need to
avoid the present controversy. But WAEC ignored it.
“The examination body cannot claim ignorance of this reminder because it was well published by the media.
“We
are perturbed by WAEC’s recalcitrance. The fact that the examination
body ignored the above advice shows that it deliberately targets Muslims
for persecution. It inflicts unbearable psychological trauma on young
Muslim candidates. It is unacceptable. This has to stop.
“There
is also enough evidence that this is not the first time WAEC will fix
examinations during the Muslim prayer period on Friday. MURIC’s struggle
with WAEC over the Friday question is of great antiquity. Unfortunately
WAEC does not appear ready to learn from history.
“We
will cite at least two past clashes and our interface with the
examination body. The timetable clashed with Jumu‘ah service in 2015 and
MURIC cried out thereby forcing the examination authority to adjust its
timetable. Again in 2018 WAEC reenacted the same scenario. MURIC kicked
again and WAEC adjusted its timetable
“It was
due to this constant occurrence that we took a proactive step two months
ago by cautioning WAEC not to allow its timetable to clash with the
Jumu‘ah period this year but the leopard refused to change its skin. Is
WAEC deaf? How can a public institution be so insensitive? What have the
Muslims done to deserve being treated like blacks in apartheid South
Africa?
“We wonder why it should be so
difficult for WAEC to leave out three hours only (from 12 noon to 3 pm)
on Fridays in its examination timetable to allow Muslims to worship.
Muslim candidates need three hours because the prayer usually starts
around 1 pm. They need at least one hour to get to the mosque, one hour
for the service inside the mosque and another one hour to return to the
examination hall.
“Muslims everywhere in the
world do not joke with the Friday Jumu‘ah prayer. This special weekly
prayer has divine and scriptural basis in Qur’an 62:9-11 and any attempt
to circumspect it by any means constitutes a challenge to divine
authority. Justice also demands that the Muslim prayer period be
respected by all, especially by WAEC because the Christian Sunday
remains sacrosanct. Perhaps WAEC examinations should be held on Sunday
morning if it will not respect the Muslim prayer period.
“What
right does WAEC have to force Muslim candidates to write examination
during Friday prayer time when the examination body does not fix its
examinations on Sunday to disturb Christian worship? Is WAEC
deliberately destabilizing Muslim candidates? How can a Muslim candidate
be in the right frame of mind to sit for an examination slated for 2 pm
on a Friday when he must be in the mosque from 1 pm to 2.30 pm? What is
WAEC’s gameplan? Is WAEC’s timetable planned by double agents?
“MURIC
calls the attention of the Federal Government and the Ministry of
Education to WAEC’s excesses. Muslim candidates should not be blamed if
they refuse to write examination under duress. Any examination that
infringes upon freedom of religion is ultra vires, unlawful, illegal,
illegitimate and unconstitutional. Candidates for such examinations
acting alone or in conjunction with their parents have every right to
use every lawful means to stop the examination.
“WAEC is
therefore invited to take notice of impending action by Muslim
candidates unless it adjusts its timetable to accommodate Muslim Jumu‘ah
service during the coming examinations. Muslim candidates must be given
three hours every Friday. This is non-negotiable. Nigerian Muslims will
liberate themselves from slavery, serfdom and religious apartheid if
government is lackadaisical. The only thing MURIC opposes is violence.
“Our
message to WAEC is very clear and simple: ‘We warned you early enough
but you decided to dare Nigerian Muslims with your satanic timetable. We
are returning it ‘back to sender’. Adjust your timetable and stop
provoking Muslims forthwith. Let the Muslims go.”
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