Nigerian media is reporting that the Nigerian representative of a U.S. Muslim Brotherhood organization has called for the freedom of each state in that country to allow for a religious-based constitution. According to the report:
Yola – A Kano-based Islamic cleric, Dr. Sa’ad Dukawa, has called on the well meaning Nigerians to support the establishment of true federalism in the country. Dukawa made the call in a paper he presented at the 8th Adamawa Centre for Islamic Thought annual seminar held in Yola on Sunday. “At the level of Nigeria, we should at least push for the application of true federalism system,” Dukawa said. Dukawa, the Director of research and documentation at the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) Nigeria Office, Kano, said that the implementation of true federalism would bring liberty and peace to all Nigerians. “The Federalism system of governance will allow for each state to have its own constitution with liberty to build the constitution around religious principles. “This is what obtains in the United States of America, where states such as,Utah operates a quasi-theocracy and nobody seems to be complaining about it”, Dukawa said. According to him, the state of Utah is currently among the top three peaceful, strong economic and standard education states in America. He noted that the implementation of the true federalism would not only help Nigeria to be strong in terms of economic growth and stability, but also solve many problems, especially the lack of morality and social security problems. Also contributing at the seminar, the Speaker, Adamawa House of Assembly, Alhaji Sadiq Ibrahim, said that the seminar came at a right time when Nigeria was facing security challenges. He challenged Muslims in the country to always exhibit the good Islamic teaching of peace and seeking knowledge to move the country forward. Also in his remark, the Director of the centre, Malam Usman Dadah, said that the theme of the seminar was “ Islam: Religion of Peace”, adding that it was chosen to enable Muslims to brainstorm in the light of current developments in the country. He emphasised the need for unity among Nigerians, saying:” Islam is a religion of peace and therefore, does not tolerate indiscriminate killings”, Dadah said. (NAN)
An earlier post reported that the NIgerian IIIT branch sits on an Islamic coordination council in that country.
The IIIT website lists contact information for its Nigerian affiliate headed by Bashir Galadanci. A 2010 Islamic conference website identifies Dr. Galadanci as the Minister of Science and Technology for Kano State. In October 2010, Nigerian media discussed a conference held by IIIT Nigeria at which the Kano State governor expressed his willingness to partner with IIIT in establishing an Islamic University:
It was in view of these challenges that the International Institute of Islamic Thought, Nigeria office, recently organised a three-day international conference and a one day summit on Islamic Universities in Kano with the theme: Islamic Universities; Prospects and Challenges. Declaring the conference open at Mambayya House, the Kano State Governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, said his administration is ready to partner the IIIT on the establishment of Islamic university in Kano. Represented by the commissioner for science and technology, Dr Bashir Galadanci, who doubled as the Director, IIIT, Nigeria office, Shekarau said the four Islamic universities are inadequate for the teeming Nigerian Muslims. He commended the institute for convening the conference, saying it was a timely event.
According to a recent Hudson Institute report, IIIIT was founded in the U.S. in 1980 by U.S. Muslim Brotherhood leaders including Jamal Barzinji and Hisham Altalib who wished to promote the “Islamization of Knowledge” and who were also early leaders of ISNA. IIIT was associated with the now defunct SAAR Foundation, a network of Islamic organizations located in Northern Virginia that was raided by the Federal government in March 2002 in connection with the financing of terrorism and both organizations had been under investigation at that time by the U.S. Justice Department until at least mid 2007. The organization appeared to have withdrawn from public view following the 2002 raids but seems to be enjoying a renaissance of late. IIIT has a network of affiliates located in Europe, Africa, the MIddle East, and Asia. Although little is known about the activities of these IIIT affiliates, recent posts have discussed plans by IIIT to construct colleges in Bosnia and Lebanon.