Ramadan Tafsir: Izala suspends Sheikh Alkali Zaria over comment on insecurity

A senior Islamic scholar, Sheikh Alkali Abubakar Salihu Zaria, says he regrets the comments that led to his suspension from delivering Ramadan Tafsir in Damaturu, Yobe State.   The cleric, who is the Assistant National Publicity Secretary of Jama’atu Izalatul Bidi’ah Wa’ikamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), told the BBC that he accepted the suspension in good faith. […]

A senior Islamic scholar, Sheikh Alkali Abubakar Salihu Zaria, says he regrets the comments that led to his suspension from delivering Ramadan Tafsir in Damaturu, Yobe State.

 

The cleric, who is the Assistant National Publicity Secretary of Jama’atu Izalatul Bidi’ah Wa’ikamatus Sunnah (JIBWIS), told the BBC that he accepted the suspension in good faith.

On Monday, the Jos-based Islamic organisation suspended him after accusing him of making statements that went against its preaching guidelines.

The action came about 11 days after he began the Ramadan Tafsir in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.

Before the start of Ramadan, the group, under the leadership of Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, had deployed 678 clerics to different mosques across Nigeria and neighbouring countries to conduct Qur’anic exegesis.

However, as the fasting period progressed, videos of Sheikh Alkali’s sermons surfaced on social media.

In the clips, he criticised some political leaders over the worsening insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria.

In one of the videos, he mentioned the names of a minister, a governor and other top politicians, accusing them of failing to address security challenges.

In another video, he criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging that he had not done enough to tackle the country’s problems.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, JIBWIS said the suspension was approved by its National Chairman, Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir, citing security concerns.

The group listed three reasons for the action, including a sermon delivered at the Police Headquarters in Damaturu, a Tafsir session where the cleric wore volunteer attire at Mokas Mosque, and a follow-up admonition he gave after the Subhi prayer at Alimarami Mosque.

JIBWIS said that although insecurity remains a serious concern affecting everyone in Nigeria, the manner in which the cleric delivered his message could pose a threat to national security and was against the teachings and principles of the organisation.

Speaking with the BBC, Sheikh Alkali admitted that his style of preaching was not in line with the group’s guidelines and said suspending him was the right decision.

“I was warned before the suspension. As human beings, we are not free from mistakes,” he said.

He explained that he was angered by the level of violence and humiliation faced by innocent people.