“The Sufi preacher, from Sunni Islam who are the majority among Nigerian Muslims, was accused of having issued statement considered to have mocked the prophet during a religious ceremony.” It isn’t really very likely that a Muslim cleric mocked Muhammad, but the verdict is what it is. In the West, meanwhile, we are more civilized. Those who are deemed to have mocked Muhammad are not sentenced to death; they’re just vilified, ostracized, and denounced for “bigotry.”
“Kano court sentences cleric to death for blaspheming Prophet Mohammed,” by Travis Underwood, The Post Oracle, January 6, 2016:
KANO- A sharia court in Kano has sentenced a Tijjaniyya cleric, Abdul Inyass to death for blasphemy.
The court upheld the death sentence passed on Dauda [i.e., Abdul Inyass] by a lower Sharia court. The verdict ends nine months of secret trial of the cleric.
Inyass and 13 others were arrested last May in Kano during a religious functions in the volatile city for blasphemy.
Abdulaziz Audu, commonly known as Abdul Inyas [sic], was arrested on August 18 previous year, following which he was taken to Kano to face trial for blasphemy and inciting violence that led to the burning of a Sharia court.
State counsel, Lamido Sorondinki, said five witnesses, including the police, had testified before the court. An Upper Sharia court Rijiya Lemu had in June a year ago sentenced Inyass’ accomplices which included a woman and 8 others to death.
The Sufi preacher, from Sunni Islam who are the majority among Nigerian Muslims, was accused of having issued statement considered to have mocked the prophet during a religious ceremony.
A statement by the Registrar, Kano Sharia court of Appeal signed by one Alhaji Nasiru last June stated that 8 persons were found guilty in accordance with section 110 and 302 of the penal code procedure, but Inyass sentence was delayed.

Oliver says
So, what did he say?
Jay Boo says
Does it really matter?
If any Muslims claim that an insult was made upon Muhammad, then it goes without question that we in the West and our MSM are not supposed to ask questions.
David Scoltock says
This wasn’t about anything he said, it’s part of the greater sectarian conflict between Shia and Sunni.
Islam is not one religion, they are like Christianity in that they are split into two main factions. Like the protestants and Catholics during the reformation wars, the two factions are engaged in theological and sectarian conflict.
Saudi (America’s ally) share the same religion as Isis, which is why they are not supporting the coalition to destroy ISIS, they would rather have ISIS win. Yet Iran (the guys America like to slag off so much) are on the other team and are trying to fight ISIS.
How’s that for irony?
Rob Crawford says
They’re both our enemies.
steve says
Yes it is irony in a way that the islamics are trying to kill each other. We as a Christian nation may have Catholics and Protestants and other groups of Christians as well as many other religions that live in peace. What will always make us different from the Islamics is that we are not trying to kill each other today. And like the other comment either one of the Islamic groups would try to eliminate any non-muslim. What may actually be good with their internal conflict and warfare is that maybe they would eliminate more of their evil cult.
Oliver says
David, I think that the Saudis built (or were going to build) a wall to keep out ISIS.
And, while Al-queida people (? I question that) might be Sunnis, S>A> jails them if they come back to S.A.
And, (I have said this before ) Saudi Arabia is kind of schizophrenic. They share intelligence with Israel, but barred a cargo airline from flying there, because they had one (cargo-not passenger) plane overhauled in Israel.
Weird-or, real political
Marty says
The best way to think of the two big islamic groups is this.
Shiite – much like the Nazis if you’re a man, much worse if you’re a woman.
Sunni – Start where the Nazis left off & the distillation of evil
Sufis – generally harmless, stupid hippy types, hated by the other two branches.
UNCLE VLADDI says
The difference between the Sunni and Shia is political not doctrinal.
Kim Bruce says
I lost a very good position with an up-and-coming company because I mocked the prophet Muhammad.
Marty says
It wasn’t worth working for.
Hope it fails.
gravenimage says
No one will ever know–Shari’;ah courts don’t repeat “blasphemy”.
And what are the chances that a Muslim cleric would say something considered “blasphemous”, in any case?
It’s *possible* that Abdul Inyass said something unorthodox, but more likely that this was a convenient charge made to target him for other reasons.
It is, in fact, quite common for Muslims to make charges of “blasphemy” against someone whose business or property they covet, someone whose position they want, or just someone who they dislike.
The very very nature of “blasphemy” laws invites this sort of abuse.
Angemon says
gravenimage posted:
“And what are the chances that a Muslim cleric would say something considered “blasphemous”, in any case?”
He’s a sufi so I wouldn’t be surprised if he said that muhammad meditated to be closer to allah, or something like that. Heck, he could have simply tried to justify the sufi mysticism and meditation to an angry orthodox sunni by stating that muhammad was meditating when he got his first “revelation”. The implication that muhammad could be close to allah is shirk.
Pete says
“The implication that muhammad could be close to allah is shirk.”
but then allah and his anjels (arabic slant) pray on moehamad, and that is from quran
Angemon says
Although my money is on what you said, GI: a convenient charge made to settle other kind of score.
Isa, Yakubu Mallam says
Will the Nigerian Government allow the execution of this harsh, barbaric and irregious sentence? All sensible Muslims are invited to give their lives to Christ to avoid this type of crude and primitive justice. Only in Christ will they find rest, peace and a restoration of their individual dignity.
Christianity is a beautiful religion that treats every person as a human being specially created in His image and loved by him. In Christ there is liberty. I will remain a Christian forever but if I must leave Christianity, I will rather become a pagan than to take to the brutal religion called islam which offers no hope to its followers both here on earth and in the hereafter.
EYESOPEN says
Please don’t leave Christ. He will never leave you; and you will find this out when you meet Him. God bless you.
stevea54 says
According to another report, :-
‘He was reported to have said that “Niasse was bigger than Prophet Muhammad” during a lecture at an event in May 2015, leading to violent protests in the city.
Niasse (Ibrahima) was a major leader of the Tijānī Sufi order of Islam in West Africa.
Inyass had to go on the run after his house was burned down in August 2015 and was arrested in Abuja before being brought back to Kano for a secret trial.
He is expected to appeal against his sentence at the High Court.’
http://www.africanews.com/2016/01/07/muslims-in-nigeria-welcome-death-sentence-for-kano-cleric/
john spielman says
thanks to the Obamanation who sits in the Oval Office, blasphemy laws like this are coming to the USA
grace begley says
Well they seem to be ignoring our bigamy laws in many western democracies. They didn’t pander to the mormons, but islam is the sacred cow. Or sacred pig.
Salome says
Sunnis might be the majority, but I expect that Sufis are a minority within that majority.
gravenimage says
Yes–this cleric might have been targeted because he was Sufi.
Of course, Sufi’s are not themselves peaceful–but they are often oppressed by more orthodox Sunnis.
Matthieu Baudin says
A mixed nation like Nigeria should have no place for local sharia law within its borders. This verdict is indicative of the lawlessness, vengefulness and cruelty that accompanies sharia practices and from which Christians and Sufi can never feel safe.
Oliver says
Go back to the 1960’s and 1970’s– (I forgot the exact years, can be found, if one cares)-Nigeria had few (if any- and if any-none with any power) Muslims; and had a civil war that killed tens of thousands. It was (as it is often with Muslims) tribal.
grace begley says
Nooooo. Can’t be. Malcom Turnbull said islam was an ancient religion of “the highest scholarship”.
cliffface says
Could you really expect an unelected leader to provide anything but an uneducated answer.
No Australian voted for Turnball to lead the country the majority voted for Tony Abbott and he was doing a good job of calling a duck a duck.
Labour has been lost for years and the LNP have shown their true colours in that it is not about which direction the voters want the country move in , It is only about the LNP winning elections.
We lost a Rhodes scholar and got a tea & scones with the mufti man.
In a country where the Greens think that bringing in more illiterate overfed overbreed savages from another time is good for the environment.
It is no wonder that all the whispers at street level are pointing to a massive swing to the small anti death cult parties.
Still no one in government can quite work out why firearm sales are booming in OZ.
Jay Boo says
Any knife carrying Muslim who refuses to behead a Christian or Jew is also considered not a real Muslim. It is in the Koran.
Issuing a charge of blasphemy in anticipation of a head chopping is — Koranic Erotica.
gravenimage says
Nigeria court sentences Muslim cleric to death for blaspheming Muhammad
………………………..
A lot of people–even Anti-Jihadists–don’t realize that Boko Haram is not the only Islamic problem in Nigeria. The Muslim north–almost half the country–is governed by vicious Shari’ah law.
Wikipedia is sometimes less than comprehensive, but they offer a pretty good overview of blasphemy laws in Nigeria:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasphemy_law_in_Nigeria
And here’s Shari’ah law there in general:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia_in_Nigeria
Women have been sentenced to be stoned to death in Nigeria.
Westman says
People who support this barbaric witch-hunting-killing belong in Reza Aslan’s classroom where, as he holds off their machetes and stones, he can explain the peacefulness of Islam to his students.
Are those Nigerian “Muslims” who condemned this imam to death, Muslims or not, Reza? Are they your brothers or are you just another liberal “closet racist” who accuses infidels from your black pot while slinking away from those “less desirable” brothers?
Max Richard says
The Vatican is already willing to submit to Islam? Or: The spokesman of the Vatican is lying because he fears for his life? Excusable? – The religions fight each other to death or/and disappear.
We should believe in evolution and the positive forces in mankind! We have no other choice!
Gene says
Just how do you insult Muhammad? Accuse him of marrying nine year old girls? No, that won’t work. Accuse him of order the murder of rival poets? No, that won’t work. Accuse him of murdering men and raping their wives? No, that won’t work. Accuse him of taking his son’s wife so he could have sex with her? No, that won’t work. Accuse him of being a thief? No, that won’t work. Accuse him of lying? No, that won’t work. Accuse him of ordering his followers to make war on everyone who doesn’t believe the way he does? No, that won’t work. Mmmm? Maybe blasphemy consists of falsely accusing Muhammad of being a good and decent man?
abdul says
You are civilised yet men are allowed to marry men and sleep with them in the west. Civilisation indeed!
EYESOPEN says
Hey “abdul”! Most of us the the U.S. are dead against that; but Leftist judges insist that it be allowed, either for “personal” reasons, or just another of the thousand cuts that are destroying this once decent nation. And, oh by the way, most Americans want no part of the evil, totalitarian ideology that is izlam (sic – on purpose) or shariah law either.