UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
NEWS
July 26, 2005 [/b]
Posted to the web July 27, 2005
Kano

Women in Kano State have been banned from riding in the same buses as men and from riding behind men on motorcycles as the state government extends its application of Islamic Shari'ah law.

The separation of the sexes in this state in northern Nigeria will be enforced by a 9,000-strong religious police force with the power to fine people who ignore the new rules.

State governor Ibrahim Shekarau launched the implementation of the new law on Tuesday at a ceremony at Kano city stadium attended by 10,000 chanting supporters.

He told them that the new road traffic law promulgated by the state government earlier this year would stop "the mixture of men and women in commercial vehicles and the carrying of women on motorcycles."

"Our aim is to be at the forefront of conducting our activities decently and to protect Allah's Sharia," Shekarau added to chants of "Allah is great!"

At the ceremony, the state governor formally presented new 100 mini-buses, 100 motor cycles and 300 motor tricycles which have bought to ease the implementation of the new law.

Motorcycles as well as cars are widely used as taxis in Kano city.

Shekaru said his government had recruited 9,000 Hisbah or Islamic law enforcers to help with the implementation of the law.

Transport operators who mix men and women in their vehicles risk a fine of 5,000 naira (US $38) or a six-month suspension of their license.

However, some exceptions will still be allowed. A man will still be able to ride in the same car or taxi as his wife and children, for example.

Kano is one of 12 states in Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north that adopted the strict Shari'ah code in 2000, but it is the first to introduce segregated public transport.

The introduction of Shari'ah deepened mutual suspicions between Nigeria's Muslim north and the mainly Christian south, erupting in periodic bouts of sectarian violence in which thousands of people have died.

Punishments under the legal code include amputation of limbs for stealing, stoning to death for adultery and homosexual activity and public flogging for premarital sex and drinking alcohol.

Kano's Muslims majority, for the most part, welcomed the new law.

"It is against the injunctions of Allah for a man to sit close to a woman who is not his wife, and this is what happens in public vehicles," Suleiman Musa, a Muslim cleric, told IRIN. "That is why we want this law."

But the large Christian community in Kano, which will have to abide by the new rules too, was less happy.

"In the first place the buses are not enough to serve the millions of people in this city. But then I hope they limit the application to Muslims only, because we Christians won't accept it," said Michael Akpabio, a Christian Pentecostal preacher in the city.

Kano, with a population of four million, is the biggest city in northern Nigeria and has long been a hotbed of sectarian violence.

More than 200 people died in the last outburst of Muslim-Christian clashes in Kano in May 2004.

Now THIS is what I call extremism.

Muslims need to stick to the laws Allah has commanded, no need to just make up shit unnecessarily.

L.P.A


hmm..how is the segregation of sexes extremism? It is really extremism or the arabization of certain African countries?

This doesnt really surprise me at all...

You don't think separating grown men and women from merelyriding the bus together is a little extreme?

I've never been to an Arab country but I didn't know Arab men and women couldn't ride busses together.



offtopic.gif

Why are 75% of these so-called Islamic extremist laws always about in sex and gender?
The Koran made laws governing everything from food, to dress, to sex, to business transactions.....why so much concentration on the sex.

The Koran says theft is wrong too, but I don't see any countries going to extremes to chain up all their merchandise and place security guards on every corner to prevent burgulary.

@ahmaad

The assumption is the severity of the punishment after the crimeshould prevent theft from happening in the first place. Is your hand worth stealing a couple of bucks. Preventative measures don't work 100% of the time anyways.

I read the article wrong, I thought it was separating sexes within the bus not separate buses for men and women which is ridicules.

I'm also having trouble how can this be consider "Shariah".

Shariah is supposed to be based on the Koran and Hadith.

Busses didn't exist at the time of the Prophet for him to have handed down this law or even mention a decision on it.


I guess wen they mess around and lose all of their women to a more liberal white man, then they'll be satisfied.

lovelyprincessaliya that was an interesting read. puts it into a different perspective

re: separate buses for the genders

dumb and dumber

It just goes to show how we can get ourselves into trouble when we follow the culture of ignorant, violent, sexist people (Arabs) that has NO basis in Scripture.

Sitting on a seperate bus or motorbike don't prove your a good muslim. Just like going to church every Sunday dont prove your a good christian...

That is the trouble with this world today, as long as you are seen to be doing the right things, everyting cool.

We need to look deeper than that.