Sharia court in Nigeria sentences singer to death for blasphemy

[Kailash Kumar]

Sharia court in Nigeria sentences singer to death for blasphemy

A Sharia court in Nigeria has sentenced a singer to death by hanging for blasphemy. The 22-year-old musician might appeal the verdict.

11.08.2020

A Sharia court in the state of Kano on Monday said it had found a 22-year-old musician, Yahaya Aminu Sharif, guilty of using derogatory expressions against the Prophet Mohammed in one of his songs and sentenced him to death by hanging.

Sharif had reportedly circulated the song on WhatsApp in March, prompting angry demonstrators to burn down his family house.

Media reports said that it wasn't immediately clear how the lyrics violated the local blasphemy law and Sharif may appeal the verdict.

Speaking to AFP, the spokesperson for the Kano region justice ministry, Baba-Jibo Ibrahim, said that Sharif had legal representation during the trial that went on for four months.

The trial was reportedly held behind closed doors for security reasons.

Sharif is the second person to be handed a death sentence for blasphemy since several states in northern Nigeria reintroduced a stricter version of Sharia in early 2000s.

Many have also had their limbs amputated under the law.

Kano is one of the regions in the north where the Islamic law runs parallel to the state and federal justice system.

https://www.dw.com/en/sharia-court-in-nigeria-sentences-singer-to-death-for-blasphemy/a-54521334

 

[AbuzarIlyas]

LAGOS, Nigeria -- A young musician in northern Nigeria’s Kano state has been sentenced to death by hanging for blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.

An Upper Shariah Court found Yahaya Sharif, 22, guilty for circulating a song described as insulting Prophet Muhammad on WhatsApp in March. He has 30 days to appeal the judgment.

Lawan Muhammad of Kano state's religious police, Hisbah, told The Associated Press Tuesday he is satisfied with the judgment.


“It was the kind of judgment we hoped for when we arrested him,” Muhammad said.

Angry protesters burned down the singer’s family house after he circulated the song.

Kano is one of about 12 states in Northern Nigeria where Shariah law is in place.


Many people have been condemned to death under Shariah law since it was first introduced in Kano in 1999, but so far only one execution has been carried out. That was in 2002 when a man was put to death after being convicted of killing a woman and her two children. Many people convicted of theft have had their limbs amputated under the law.

https://abcnews.go.com/Internationa...nger-sentenced-death-north-blasphemy-72303843

 

[Village life]

Good hang these all criminal blasphemers, Pakistan should learn from Nigeria and Afghanistan,

 

[Mugen]

We are no different than Hindus who kill others for eating or hurting a cow. We have taken it one step further and institutionalised it.

 

[peagle]

How is this more power to Nigeria, it is ridiculous,
It does not say what he did, even so,
The death penalty for blasphemy is an extremely stupid and harsh punishment.

I understand the cause for the illegality of blasphemy, but taking a life is a serious matter,
you cannot preach to others about morality in places like India and support similar actions elsewhere.

 

[jamahir]

Ridiculous !

An Upper Shariah Court found Yahaya Sharif, 22, guilty for circulating a song described as insulting Prophet Muhammad on WhatsApp in March.

Are there no real intellectuals in Nigeria to guide people on such matters ? Should such things be left to the decisions of misguided mullahs ?

Lawan Muhammad of Kano state's religious police, Hisbah

Wonderful ! Another Taliban-style "religious" police.

 

[EpiiC]

How is this more power to Nigeria, it is ridiculous,
It does not say what he did, even so,
The death penalty for blasphemy is an extremely stupid and harsh punishment.

I understand the cause for the illegality of blasphemy, but taking a life is a serious matter,
you cannot preach to others about morality in places like India and support similar actions elsewhere.

Yh when I tell my fellow Pakistanis that we must be clean before we accuse India, they accuse me of being Indian lmao, I don't blame them to an extent Pakistan has very low human capital, and very low quality education so all is excused .

 

[jamahir]

Good hang these all criminal blasphemers, Pakistan should learn from Nigeria and Afghanistan,

Brother, tell me. The Taliban is supposedly set soon to take part in governing of Afghanistan. What is its vision for Afghanistan for the next five years ?

 

[EpiiC]

Ridiculous !

Are there no real intellectuals in Nigeria to guide people on such matters ? Should such things be left to the decisions of misguided mullahs ?

Wonderful ! Another Taliban-style "religious" police.

It's not a modern state, its not a country where people can speak freely. Yes its true Nigeria lacks many real high quality intellectuals, only few percent of the population is unfortunately intelligent.

 

[EpiiC]

Good hang these all criminal blasphemers, Pakistan should learn from Nigeria and Afghanistan,

So Pakistan should not become a modern progressive state to compete with the 1st world, but should have draconian backward laws like blasphemy, Pakistan should continue as a backward state, is that what your telling me?

 

[jamahir]

It's not a modern state, its not a country where people can speak freely. Yes its true Nigeria lacks many real high quality intellectuals, only few percent of the population is unfortunately intelligent.

So its similar to Brunei, another oil-rich state but with regressive laws. Even Saudia seems progressive compared to these two states.

I don't know your views but from my searches in Wikipedia there seems to have been socialist activism in Nigeria until the 60s when it was banned.

 

[Jugger]

Yh when I tell my fellow Pakistanis that we must be clean before we accuse India, they accuse me of being Indian lmao, I don't blame them to an extent Pakistan has very low human capital, and very low quality education so all is excused .

First they call you Indian, then they make you enemy of Pakistan, enemy of Pakistan is enemy of Islam, now you are also condemned for a similar fate.
This is hypothetical situation but it’s like fire, quickly it can engulf you.
This is the reason why certain people hold so much power in a religious society, once they term you not one of them, then you automatically become the enemy.

if you think about it, not many want to live in such a society.

 

[EpiiC]

So its similar to Brunei, another oil-rich state but with regressive laws. Even Saudia seems progressive compared to these two states.

I don't know your views but from my searches in Wikipedia there seems to have been socialist activism in Nigeria until the 60s when it was banned.

Right, if they had smart people in the country they could have set up a sovereign wealth fund which rivals Norway, the wealth fund of Norway earned them $180,000,000,000 annual profit in 2019 https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/27/norway-wealth-fund-earned-a-record-180-billion-in-2019.html. Total wealth fund value over $1T+.

 

[El Sidd]

Please don't dance in my mosque. I respect your local culture but not in the mosque.

Thanks

 

[Indos]

There is no basis whether in Quran or Hadith where blasphemy is sentenced to death.