Backlash has trailed the Kano State Hisbah Board’s directive to residents of other religions who are not observing this Ramadan fast to refrain from eating openly or doing anything publicly that may damage the Islamic religion or entice those fasting.
In an interview with AIT live, Director-General of the Board Abba Sai’Idu stated that the enforcement team now conducts more frequent patrols across the city to arrest any Muslim found engaging in any practice that is not by Islamic culture during the Holy Month.
During the Holy Month of Ramadan, Muslims are supposed to refrain from eating, drinking, having sex, or smoking during the day, as well as any other behavior prohibited by the Holy Quran.
Except in Christian-dominated communities such as Sabon Gari, Bompai, and Jaba, few food vendors in Kano State are currently open during the day because the majority of their customers are fasting.
Reacting to the directive from Hisbah, Daniel Peter complained over the “undue power” given to the board.
“Why do they feel they have the right to demand that?! This country is something else. Catholics are in Lent. You don’t see them telling states to go silent.
“The way Hisbah and other security guards have been given undue power and authority in Kano is ridiculous,” Peter notes.
In his reaction, Tekobo, a Muslim, stated that Christians who are presently observing Lent will not force anyone not to eat in public.
“People know what to do! They are on Lent too; did they announce to anyone or Muslims not to eat? Why are we doing this when it comes to our month? Christians will not tell you not to do anything you want while you are on Lent that is their fasting period,” Tekobo argues.
Describing the directive as “madness”, Ola Mi Lekan asks, “Does their rule supersede the constitution, or where in the Holy Quran or hadith of the prophet were non-Muslims prohibited from eating in public during Ramadan?”
For David Oghe, he stated that “this madness needs to stop. Lent has been on since, and nobody in Enugu or Delta asks non-Catholics not to eat in public.”
“The Christians are doing their fasting quietly without any fuss. Why this intolerance?” Christian Nanfa Gidado asks.
Describing the directive as “barbaric,” an X user simply identified as The Sage argues that “There is nowhere in the Qur’an or Sunnah where the prophet or anyone in Islamic history ordered people not to eat in public because the Muslims are fasting.”
Yemie advised Hisbah to “learn from the prophet on how to tolerate people. Islam is a religion of peace, and the prophet (saw) is a nobleman. Let’s reflect and tolerate and not make every space difficult.”
Blaming the Federal Government for failing to check Hisbah‘s excesses, Deedee Ezechie noted that “these northern Muslims feel overtly entitled!
“But who do you blame when we don’t have a government in place to check their excesses?
“Truth be told, Nigeria is not ‘one nation bound in freedom, peace, and unity!”
