Alleged Blasphemy: It’s Criminal Offence in Islam to kill Anyone Through Jungle Justice – MMPN

The Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN) has said that it is a criminal offence in Islam for anyone or group of people to kill anybody through jungle justice.

Recall that a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, Miss Deborah Samuel was allegedly killed by a group of students over an alleged insult to Prophet Muhammad.

MMPN however, described the incident as anti-Islam, barbaric and sad.

National President of MMPN, Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun, in a statement, described the case of mob killing of the girl in Sokoto as a criminal offence in Islamic law.

Balogun, on behalf of MMPN, condemned in strong terms the jungle justice meted out on the deceased on the excuse of committing blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.

Balogun in the statement explained that killing innocent people does not have a place in Islam.

He said that as a Muslim organisation, MMPN joins all others groups and individuals to condemn what happened in Sokoto recently.

He explained further that what happened in Sokoto is a manifestation of ignorance on what the religion of Islam preaches.

Balogun used the opportunity to charge Islamic scholars to renew their commitments to preaching peace, love, tolerance and understanding as taught by the Prophet Muhammad himself.

He said, “Allah says in Qur’an 5 verse 32 thus: … We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people…”

“So the punishment for any offence in Islamic law is decided by a judge. No other member of the public has that jurisdiction.

“In essence, it is a criminal offence in the Shari’ah of Islam for anyone or any group to take the law into their hands. In essence, anyone who takes the law into their hands is a criminal that should be punished for their crime.

“As a body of Muslim Media Practitioners, we join all others to condemn this barbaric act and call for immediate justice on any individual or group of people found guilty of perpetrating this dastard act.

“This is so because if any individual or group is permitted to judge and execute punishments on their own without recourse to the constituted authority, there will be nothing but jungle justice and anarchy on the land.

“Again, what happened in Sokoto is a manifestation of ignorance on what the religion of Islam preaches, hence the need for Islamic scholars to renew their commitments to preaching peace, love, tolerance and understanding as taught by the Prophet Muhammad himself.

“The Prophet (S.A.W) during his life time was maligned, insulted and attacked but he didn’t retaliate or order his people to prosecute any of them, hence, people accepted Islam during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad ( S.A.W ) because of his exemplary and worthy character”.

-Kunle Bakare.