A Muslim cleric in Nigeria, Sheikh Isyaka Rabiu – leader of the Tijjaniya Brotherhood, has warned Muslim lawmakers that they will be condemned as unbelievers if they back the gender equality bill. According to him, the bill which proposes that men and women inherit an equal share, violates the Koran.
In an Interview with BBC, Sheikh Rabiu said “whoever approves of the bill is an unbeliever, not Muslim. I am appealing to all Muslim [senators] to never allow this bill to become law and if they do, we are going to tell all Nigerian Muslims not to accept it.”
The Gender Equality Opportunity (GEO) Bill which is sponsored by a female Senator, Biodun Olujimi, suffered major setback in March this year but passed for second reading at the senate on September 29th. It seeks to address women’s freedom of movement, female economic activity, girls’ access to education, equal rights for women in marriage, divorce, property/land ownership and inheritance, appropriate measures against gender discrimination in political and public life and prohibitions of violence to women.
Gender rights activists say the bill will help eliminate discrimination against women.
Muslim Senator Ubali Shitu said the bill still needed to go through various stages before it was voted on.
Lawmakers would only approve “those aspects that are beneficial and throw out those that we deem harmful”, he added.
Human rights activist Bukky Shonibare had called the rejection of the bill in March a sad day for Nigerian women and said it showed “how backward we are”.
So what do you think, should this bill become a law or not?
The post Nigerian muslim cleric warns muslim lawmakers to reject gender equality bill appeared first on Bonsue TV.
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