(http://fmi.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Book-presentation-300x199.jpg) Information Minister Mr. Labaran Maku has called on Nigerians to project the nation's religious and cultural diversities for the world to really understand the rich complexity of the country. The Minister made the call in Abuja when a group of lawyers from Harvard University in the United States of America, presented to the Federal Ministry of Information, copies of the book titled "Practicing Sharia Law", authored by a Nigerian based in the U.S., Mrs. Hauwa Ibrahim and published by the American Bar Association.
The Minister stressed the need for the world to appreciate Nigeria as a country where Christianity, Islam and different traditions and cultures were well established and either of the groups could seek justice through the Customary, Sharia or the Common Law Courts.
"As the Minister of Information, I can tell you that most of the time, when I go out of this country and when I listen to comments particularly in the international media about Nigeria, people do not quite understand the rich complexity of this country. Most of the time people don't appreciate Nigeria as it should be – a rich country of different traditions," he said.
Mr. Maku believes that the book, "Practicing Sharia Law" is in furtherance of the possibility of projecting certain lessons and experiences from Nigeria to the rest of the world.
The Minister observed that though Sharia Law was part of the nation's justice system, it gained further currency since it became part of the Criminal Justice System in Northern Nigeria and hoped that the book would advance the course of justice and adjudication of Sharia Law in Nigeria.
He equally thanked the author for writing the book and donating 5,000 copies free of charge to different organizations and institutions in the country and said the book would provide new vista for the understanding of Sharia Law and how it is practiced in Northern Nigeria. "Rigorous scholarship and commitment can always produce things that will be of value to the rest of the world," Mr. Maku said.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information, Mrs. Kehinde Ajoni, who is a lawyer, noted that there are so many concepts of practicing Sharia Law even in the Judiciary, but expressed the hope that with the in-depth research by the author who is a renowned academician, judges, lawyers and scholars would respect her views as contained in the book.
"For you to have taken time out to do an in-depth study of practicing Sharia Law in the country is a good service to the Judiciary in Nigeria and indeed to the whole of legal institutions worldwide to have a fair understanding of what it is to practice Sharia Law," she said.
In her remarks, the author of the book who is also a visiting lecturer at the Harvard University, Mrs. Hauwa Ibrahim said the book, "Practicing Sharia Law" was written to serve as a guide for lawyers seeking justice for their clients in Sharia Court, drawing lessons from the rich background of best practices in 12 countries and other laws, international treaties and conventions subsisting in Nigeria.
She added that the purpose of writing the book was to promote understanding of the religious text of Sharia Law in order to bridge the gap between the knowledge of the practice of Sharia and the perception of Sharia Law.
Mrs. Hauwa Ibrahim said, "I have a mind of trying to reflect on 10 years of practising in a Sharia Court; what can I do differently; how can I add value to do good, that was the basis of writing this book," she explained.
Via: Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria
Nigerians are very religious people that I can say confidently. But there are some bad eggs in this country that do not want this country to improve. E.G Our Politicians