The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onayeikan, has condemned the proscription of the Shi’ite movement by the Federal Government, describing it as an error.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday on activities lined up for his 50th priestly ordination celebration and the launch of a book in his honour titled, ‘Thy will be done: A portrait of John Cardinal Onaiyekan,’ on Thursday, the priest noted that government’s action implied that other religious beliefs in the country were under threat as the government could simply obtain a court order and proscribe them.
He insisted that the Shi’ites had the right to protest the continued detention of their leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, adding that if he (Onaiyekan) was detained unjustly, the Catholics would protest.
He, therefore, called on Nigerians to press the government to respect the rights of religious groups to exist and operate in the country.
“That right should be given not only to the Catholics, the Sunnis, the Anglicans and other groups, but also to the Shi’ites. My hope is that having made that blunt mistake, the government will reverse itself because the impression the Shi’ite proscription gives about Nigeria around the world is terrible.
“It portrays us as a country where government can wake up one day, get a court order from nowhere that a particular religious group is proscribed. If we allow that to go, it means Catholics and my own religion too can be prescribed any day by any government who manages to get any judge to issue an ex-parte or non-ex-parte order.
“If I was a Muslim, I will also fight for the freedom of every Muslim because freedom of religion is not only the freedom between different religions; there is also freedom within religions.
“I don’t know what will happen if I was detained unjustly and the court orders my release and they refuse to allow me to come out, I don’t know if anybody will be able to stop the Catholics from protesting,” the cleric said.
