Isese Day: Worshippers must respect rights of others – MURIC

Following the demand by traditionalists for the Federal Government to declare August 21st and 22nd as public holidays to mark Isese Day, the Muslim Rights Concern have declared support for the traditionalists, noting, however, that the worshippers must respect the rights of worshippers of other religions.

The PUNCH reports that the International Council for Ifa Religion had on Wednesday called on President Bola Tinubu to give equal recognition to adherents by declaring August 20th and 21st as public holidays.

MURIC’s Executive Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, made the call in a statement released on Thursday, where he stated that the demand by the adherents was “just, legitimate and constitutional.”

“Traditionalists in Yorubaland marked the Isese Day yesterday, 20th August, 2025. They also used the opportunity to ask the Federal Government to declare every 21st and 22nd of August as national holidays.

This demand is just, legitimate and constitutional. In so far as the other two religions enjoy the right, traditionalists also deserve it. Therefore, we have no objection to their demand.

“Islam teaches a philosophy of freedom of worship. The popular phrase ‘Lakun diinukunm wa liya diiin’, i.e. ‘For you is your religion, and for me is my religion’ (Glorious Qur’an 109:6) paraphrases the ideological stand of Islam on freedom of religion. We therefore declare loud and clear that we support the demand of followers of traditional religion for their own holidays to be known as Isese Day,” he said.

Akintola, however, said adherents of the traditional religion must first remove all the skeletons in their cupboard and “recognise and respect the rights of others.”

He added that past rights infringements on worshippers of Allah must stop, particularly unlawful restrictions on people’s movements during Oro festivals, among others.

If the adherents of Isese religion (also known as traditionalists) demand the recognition or enforcement of their rights, they must first recognize and respect the rights of others. They must remove all the skeletons in their cupboards. They have come to equity. They must come with clean hands. They cannot eat their cakes and still have it.

“In which case all past infringements and encroachments on Allah-given fundamental human rights of others by the same adherents of Isese must stop. Put more succinctly, there shall be no more illegal curfews, no more unlawful restrictions of people’s movements particularly during Oro festivals, no more infractions on the rights of women, no more public flogging of innocent Nigerians by masquerades, no more killing of humans for ritual sacrifices, etc,” he said.

MURIC accused Isese followers of serial rights violations, particularly during festivals, adding that governments in the South West had often ignored complaints lodged by stakeholders.

“We note with serious concern that some state governments in the South West have already recognized Isese Day by declaring yesterday, Wednesday, 20th August as a holiday. That was rather hasty. We are certain that it was done without consultation and without considering complaints of excesses and blatant impunity lodged by stakeholders.

“They have forgotten that peacebuilding is a collective affair. The impunity of the Isese group has continued ad infinitum because these state governments have never held the Isese group accountable,” Akintola said.

He warned that granting Isese Day without a written commitment from traditionalists to respect others’ rights could fuel a religious crisis.

We have shown our readiness to support their demand for Isese Day, the onus is on them to pledge to respect the fundamental human rights of others by stopping all their excesses.

“We advise the Federal Government not to grant their demand for Isese Day until they provide a written commitment on the above serial infringements. Isese Day: to be or not to be? That is the question. The ball is in Isese’s court,” the statement concluded.