As Muslims worldwide begin the Ramadan season by observing sawm or fasting from dawn to sunset, the Islamic police in a Nigerian state arrested almost a dozen Muslims for not observing this important pillar of the Islamic faith.
The Islamic police in Nigeria's northern state of Kano arrested 11 Muslims on Tuesday who were seen eating food during the Ramadan fast.
The 10 men and one woman were released after swearing an oath that they would not purposely miss a fast again.https://t.co/zLJZY6Gldz— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) March 13, 2024
The Hisbah, or the Islamic police, arrested 11 Muslims on March 11th in the northern Nigerian state of Kano after they were caught eating during Ramadan. The Islamic police regularly search eateries and markets in the state every year during Ramadan. Kano has a Muslim-majority population, where Sharia law operates alongside secular law.
The 10 Muslim men and women were let go after swearing an oath that they would not purposely miss a fast ever again.
No need to arrest them,they need to be acknowledged about the Reverence & health benefits of fasting otherwise by forcing them they keep some prejudices for islam and remember there is no compulsion in islam
— MOHAMMAD SAQIB DHAR (@MSDSaqee) March 14, 2024
"We got 11 persons on Tuesday, including a lady selling groundnuts who was seen eating from her wares, and some persons alerted us," Lawal Fagge, spokesperson for the Islamic police, told the BBC. "The other 10 were men and were arrested across the city especially close to markets where a lot of activities happen."
He also added that while search operations would continue, non-Muslims were exempt from the rule except if they were caught cooking food for Muslims who were supposed to be fasting.
Shameful to entice those fasting by deliberately eating infront of them
— Azeem Sabzwari (@Azeem_Sabzvari) March 13, 2024
"We don't arrest non-Muslims because this doesn't concern them, and the only time they could be guilty of a crime is when we find out they cook food to sell to Muslims that are supposed to be fasting," Fagge said.
Regarding those who were arrested, Fagge said they were freed after promising to start fasting from now on, and "for some of them, we had to see their relatives or guardians in order to have family monitor them.”
Muslim people things tire me ohhh.
— Ride (@RideOn2023) March 14, 2024
Sharia law was introduced to work alongside secular law in 12 of Nigeria’s northern states that have a majority Muslim population.
This year, Ramadan is expected to last 30 days, with fasting starting on Monday, March 11, and predicted to end on Tuesday, April 9th.
