Outraged by the gruesome killing of Deborah Samuel, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, who was gruesomely murdered over alleged blasphemy, 13 Muslim groups, under the auspices of Muslims United for Peace and Justice, have demanded justice for the victim.
The groups advised the State and the Federal governments to promulgate laws to criminalize blasphemy and killing for blasphemy outside the law, and faithfully enforce them.
Addressing a press conference in Lagos, alongside other Muslim leaders, the Executive Director of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Lakin Akintola, appealed for justice against the killers, irrespective of the nature of their motivation or the justification they claimed.
According to him, the terrible occurrence may serve as a watershed moment in Muslim-Christian relations, ushering in a new era of peaceful coexistence, adding that these objectives were attainable if each religion follower embraced and honestly practiced their faith’s magnificent values.
He urged Christians to employ all means to fend-off intolerance and called for deep introspection by leaders of the Christian community.
He explained, “We express strong solidarity with voices of reason and moderation amongst scholars of Islam and declare readiness to continue working together to strengthen the pillars of national peace, reconciliation and understanding.”
He enjoined leaders of various religious faiths to continue to enlighten and educate adherents on the need for mutual respect, to focus on messages of love and work against voices of hatred and extremism, amongst them.
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