The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has accused Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, of persecuting Muslim students in the institution. According to the Islamic human rights group, the private tertiary institution is “serially violating the fundamental human rights of Muslim students in the institution.”
While the University is not among the faith based institutions in the country, MURIC claimed that it “forces Muslim students to attend church on Sundays,” the Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola said in a statement sent to EduCeleb.com on Tuesday, 18th June, 2019.
“It makes it mandatory for students living in the hostel to attend church every Wednesday and Saturday.
“The practice of any other faith on campus except Christianity is banned. Muslim students must not be seen observing Salat. Hijab is a taboo in Adeleke University. Yet all these Islamophobic practices are smartly hidden from prospective students of the institution until they have paid the exorbitant school fees and can no longer withdraw.”
Akintola called on university education regulatory authority, the National Universities Commission (NUC) to investigate the matter.
“We call on the National Universities Commission (NUC) to come to the rescue of Muslim students in Adeleke University. It is a religious scam. This institution hides under a non-religious nomenclature to ensnare Muslim students into an enclave of religious apartheid.
“In particular, we invite NUC to take a look at the students’ handbook of this institution, especially pages 7, 49, 50, 56 and 60. These pages, to our mind, contain rules that infringe on the religious freedom of Muslim students. As a regulating body, NUC has a duty to intervene in this matter as part of its oversight function on Nigeria’s universities.
“Such intervention is necessary at this juncture to enhance quality control. We remind NUC that man is body, soul and spirit. These three organs must function without hinderance for students to perform maximally. As things stand today, Muslim students of Adeleke University have been deprived of the spiritual component of their humanity. We therefore call on NUC to investigate this issue as a matter of urgency. Religious repression is a potential threat to peace, law and order.
“MURIC is aware that such practices of religious intolerance exist in a few other private universities. We therefore advise Muslim parents and Muslim students to take necessary precaution. They should investigate very well before picking universities of interest.
“Many private universities do not bear Christian names but they pursue Christian evangelical goals. Worse still, they lack the spirit of tolerance. Muslim candidates who have already chosen private universities where they are likely to become victims of Islamophobia are, therefore, advised to apply for a change of university before it is too late.
“Western education was the weapon used by the British colonialists to coerce Muslims into converting to Christianity in the past. The new trick is to use private universities to achieve the same aim or to compromise willing staff of public universities to do the dirty job. It is neocolonialism pure and simple.
“The children of Muslim victims of religious oppression under the colonialists are today the targets of apartheid private universities. Those who oppressed the father when he was in school are bent on persecuting the children. This is the gospel according to the slave-driver. This vicious cycle must be halted at all cost.
“As we draw the curtain, we warn that private and public institutions where Muslim students are denied their Allah-given fundamental human rights are sitting on kegs of gunpowder. We call on NUC to investigate this allegation of religious persecution in Adeleke University, Ede and take appropriate action if found culpable. It will serve as a deterrent for other neo-imperialists masquerading as higher institutions.”
The management of Adeleke University is yet to respond to the allegations made by MURIC as at the time of publishing this report as calls to the mobile numbers on its website were not answered when our correspondent dialed them neither had there been responses to text messages.
