The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has declared its support for the call by traditional religion worshippers in the South West for the Federal Government to declare August 21 and 22 as national holidays to mark Isese Day.
The position was made known in a statement issued on Thursday, August 21, 2025, by the group’s Founder and Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
According to MURIC, the demand is “just, legitimate and constitutional” since Muslims and Christians already enjoy their respective holidays.
Akintola said: “We therefore declare loud and clear that we support the demand of followers of traditional religion for their own holidays to be known as Isese Day.
“Their holiday has nothing to do with our religion. It does not disturb us and it does not make us uncomfortable in any way. It is their own day of happiness.
“We cannot stand in their way on this because we believe in the philosophy of ‘Live and let live’.”
However, the group attached conditions to its support, stressing that traditionalists must respect the rights of others.
“If the adherents of Isese religion demand the recognition or enforcement of their rights, they must first recognize and respect the rights of others.
“There shall be no more illegal curfews, no more unlawful restrictions of people’s movements particularly during Oro festivals, no more infractions on the rights of women, no more public flogging of innocent Nigerians by masquerades, no more killing of humans for ritual sacrifices, etc.,” Akintola said.
The Islamic human rights group further urged the Federal Government not to grant the demand for a national Isese Day holiday until traditionalists make a written commitment to end practices that violate the fundamental rights of others.
