Gender Equality Bill: Nigerian Muslim Cleric Warns Muslim Lawmakers To Reject It

Sheikh Isyaka Rabiu, a famous Muslim cleric and the leader of the influential Tijjaniya Brotherhood in Nigeria has warned Muslim lawmakers that they will be condemned as ‘unbelievers’ if they support the gender equality bill because it proposes that men and women inherit an equal share, violating the Koran.

In a recent interview with BBC, Sheikh Rabiu said:

”Whoever approves of the bill is an unbeliever, not Muslim. I am appealing to all Muslim [senators] to never allow this bill to become law and if they do, we are going to tell all Nigerian Muslims not to accept it.”

Meanwhile, gender rights activists say the bill will help eliminate discrimination against women.

The senate had rejected an earlier version of the bill in March, saying, it was incompatible with Nigerian culture and religious beliefs.

The new bill was sponsored by a female senator, Biodun Olujimi, and has passed for second reading (read here) at the senate on September 29th.

The Gender Equality Opportunity (GEO) Bill seeks to address women’s freedom of movement, female economic activity, girls’ access to education, equal rights for women in marriage, divorce, property/land ownership and inheritance, appropriate measures against gender discrimination in political and public life, and prohibitions of violence against women.