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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Presidency clarifies reasons for proscribing Shiite group |
| 2019-07-29 |
| [PULSE.NG] After obtaining a court order to proscribe the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), the Presidency has explained the reason behind the proscription of the Moslem group. The presidency said the proscription was meant to stop the "killings and wanton destruction of both public and private property by the IMN." In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, July 28, 2019, the government said the clarification became necessary following allegations by IMN members that the government has stopped them from observing five times daily prayers and going to Mecca for pilgrimage. The statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu reads in part: "The Presidency explains that contrary to the claim by IMN that it had been banned from practising its religion, President (Muhammadu) Buhari’s administration has not banned Shi’ites from observing their five daily prayers and going to Mecca to perform the Holy pilgrimage. "Their position is blatantly false and deceptive. "The IMN is deliberately changing the narrative in order to gain sympathy and divert the attention of the world from its terrorist activities, including attacking soldiers, killing coppers and a youth corps member, destroying government ambulances and public property, consistently defying authority of the state. "The Presidency notes that the banned ...the word bannedseems to have a different meaning in Pakistain than it does in most other places. Or maybe it simply lacks any meaning at all... organization was taken over by "The Presidency agrees that the Constitution protects freedom of worship, but not to the detriment of the society, especially where such freedom harms others, and breaks law and order." |
| Posted by:Fred |