Hijrah Holiday: Crying more than the bereaved

A national newspaper’s editorial of Tuesday 20th November, 2012 titled ‘Aregbesola’s Strange Holiday In Osun’ in reference to the Hijrah holiday declared by the Osun State Governor, Engineer Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, smacked of deliberate hypocrisy designed to rubbish the good work and intention of the governor as well as paint him asa religious bigot whose main aim is to promote Islam using the apparatus of office.
This apparently is not the first time a section of the media had unsuccessfully attempted to do so to satisfy the whims and caprices of their sponsors.
Where was this particular newspaper which prides itself as the most widely read in Nigeria when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo declared May 29th a public holiday for the celebration of his second ascension into power in 1999?
Was the newspaper not in business when south west states declared their own Democracy Day holiday for June 12? What do we call the aforementioned declarations: regional or personal politics?
Neither Obasanjo nor the south west governors were accused of promoting personal or regional politics then and certainly not till now.
Other states of the federation have declared public holidays within their territories which have suited their socio-cultural structure. There has not been protest from anywhere. So let Aregbesola and the Osun state government be.
When in 1972, General Yakubu Gowon declared Saturday a work free day for Nigerians in sympathy to the demands of the adherents of the Seventh Day Adventist genre of Christianity, Heaven has not fallen since then.
Between 1861 and 1960, the Christian colonial masters only recognised the Christian holidays while the Muslims who are the majority did not enjoy any specific pubic holiday until the coming of the Late Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister, there was no protest.
In Nigeria, states like
Niger, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kano do declare holiday for Hijrah. Even if they don’t, was that enough reason for Aregbesola/Osun State not to do so when it is within their constitutional rights as governor/government?
The writers of the editorial deliberately distorted facts and turned history upside down to achieve its aims of feeding Nigerians and the entire world with inaccurate facts.
This parochial editorial certainly do not serve the interest of the Osun people, who thanks to God; know
and acknowledge the fact that Aregbesola despite his deep belief in Islam and being a devout Muslim, has not discriminated against any religion or adherent of other religions.
Perhaps this particular newspaper did not
know that Aregbesola’s closest aides and associates today are Christians;
checkout the composition of his cabinet as well as other political appointees.
May be the paper has forgotten also that during the last Christmas and Easter celebrations in Osun State, people of the state witnessed beautification of roundabouts and popular roads in the state capital to mark the celebrations for
Christians; a fact the writer(s) will not want people to remember. I am sure if there had not been a holiday for these periods, the governor would have gladly granted one.
Have the writers of the editorial forgotten so easily the free train services the Governor presented during the last Christmas, New Year and Easter celebrations.
The Christian yuletide was celebrated with fireworks and glittering light courtesy of the state government, something that has never happened in the history of the state.
The government of Osun has always taken active part in the celebration of the Osun Osogbo festival promoting it to international standard which has increased tourist  attraction for the festival.
Suffice to add that Aregbesola has always
been physically present at the annual celebration of the Iwude festival in Ilesa while he has not been found wanting in playing his roles at the annual traditional festivals at Ile Ife.
Thus, trying to paint Aregbesola a religious bigot which was the aim of the newspaper editorial did not hold water as the people of Osun State know the true character of their governor.
In the editorial, the newspaper wrote “Aregbesola claimed that Hijrah marks the beginning of the lunar calendar that Muslim faithful use for their programmes and should be accorded its due respect like the first day of January”. This is rather hypocritical.
People around the world know and recognise that Hijrah marks the beginning of a new Islamic year just as January 1st marks that of the Christians.
The fact that some people don’t accept it does not remove that it is the beginning of the new Islamic year.
Therefore, Aregbesola does not have to
‘claim’ as the newspaper had put it as if the Hijrah was the invention of the Osun State Governor. Hijrah has its history which the Muslims hold dear, the
fact that one is not an adherent of the Islamic faith does not mean he/she should rubbish what Muslims hold dear to their hearts because Muslims have
always respected other religious beliefs in this country.
After all, not everyone subscribes to January 1st as the beginning of the new
Christian year, there are even some Christians who don’t  believe in it but Heaven has not fall since the government declared the day a public holiday.
Perhaps we need to lecture the writers of
this rather parochial and self serving editorial on the development of various
calendars in existence around the world.
They should  know that there are various types of calendars in the world designed to serve the socio-religious beliefs of people operating such calendars.
Aregbesola administration has extended the hands of partnership to renowned Pentecostal missionaries such as Pastor Enoch
Adeboye, Pastor Samuel Kayode Abiara, Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo and many others for collective development of Osun.
Let us also add that the present administration in the state present an enabling peaceful environment for these people and their congregations thus leading to the establishment of the permanent sites of the Redeemer’s University of Nigeria (RUN) owned by Adeboye’s RCCG at Ede and Ashimolowo’s King’s University at Ode Omu. When RUN held its foundation laying ceremony at Ede, Aregbesola was physically present
ditto for the King’s University.
Noteworthy also was that in their honour and in the spirit of freedom of worship, the state government is working on the construction of a befitting worship centre for the Christian Community.
The newspaper also claimed that Muslims
only hold dear the Eid-l-Fitri and Eid-l-Adha holidays which is farther from the
truth. Nigerian Muslims for a long time have been advocating for the declaration of the Hijrah holiday.
Various Islamic organisations such as the
Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), the National Council of Muslim Youths Organisations (NACOMYO) and the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) among
others have been in the forefront of the struggle for the declaration of the Hijrah holiday. Therefore the assertion that Muslims are indifferent to the Hijrah was simply incorrect. The fact remains that we have been advocating for this peacefully and legally.
The claim by the paper that Saudi Arabia,
Iran, Qatar and Turkey do not declare public holiday for Hijrah is a blatant lie and a display of ignorance not expected of a national newspaper which
prides itself as the most widely read.
Investigation has revealed that the
aforementioned countries do not only declare public holiday for Hijrah but also
celebrate it. Moreover, even if they don’t declare holiday for Hijrah are they the yardstick for the practice of the Islamic religion? Indeed the newspaper needs to answer these questions.
The people of Osun, especially Christians
in the state, who are well aware that the Governor has good intentions, are certainly not complaining. The state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Evangelist Abraham Aladeseye, confirmed this during a chat with
journalists on the matter.
The venerable man of God stated that Christians in the state are not against the declaration of the Hijrah holiday. “I even sent congratulatory messages to Governor Aregbesola and the chairman of the League of Imams and Alfas in Osun State to celebrate the event.
We Christians don’t have anything against it,” he said. So we are baffled and I therefore ask this question: why is this particular newspaper crying more than the bereaved?
Sheikh Binuyo, former manager of programmes, North Africa and Overseas service, Voice of Nigeria (VON) and
ex-National Missioner, Muslim Association of Nigeria (MAN), writes in from Lagos.