MUSLIM RIGHTS CONCERN (MURIC)
هيئة حقوق المسلمين
Motto: Dialogue, Not Violence الحوار فقط، العنف ممنوع
Date: Saturday, 28th August, 2021.
HEROES OF BADR 2021
It is clear even to the blind that a diabolical propaganda war is being waged against Nigerian Muslims. Our detractors are the ones killing Muslims, persecuting and marginalising us. But they are so clever and so dangerous that they are also the ones crying out loud.
Our adversaries are adept at committing atrocities against us and crying louder than us as if we are the culprits. Unfortunately their hypocritical cries are loudly echoed by the media and, in recent times, by Western powers. They are able to do this because they have an effective propaganda machinery which we lack.
This false anti-Islam propaganda is dangerous and the Muslims must not keep quiet. This was how they started in Bosnia and Myanmar before they descended on the Muslims in those countries. Thousands of Muslims were massacred within a few days. But that was after they had used false propaganda and hate speech to turn the people against the Muslims. Their evil plan succeeded because Muslims in those countries were passive. They did not counter their enemy’s propaganda.
A similar scenario is currently playing out in Nigeria. anti-Muslim propaganda, fake news and hate speech are on the rise while the major drammatis personnae have been spewing bile in the American Congress and writing the United Nations.
Nigerian Muslims need an efficient propaganda machinery to counter all these and the time is now. There is an urgent need to change the narrative if indeed we want the Ummah to survive the onslaught.
This has been the preoccupation of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) since its establishment in 1994. We thank Allah that MURIC’s interventions and advocacies have been able to put the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other vociferous anti-Muslim groups and individuals in check.
There is no problem if MURIC can sustain the momentum. But this may not be easy because all the writings are being done by the director of MURIC alone. This is not good enough. We need good writers and strategists around him. We also need a succession plan if we don’t want the activities of MURIC to stop suddenly.
We in MURIC have a succession plan but we must confess that it is not reliable enough for now because MURIC has serious challenges which require urgent solutions.
MURIC’s major challenge is lack of standardisation : we lack standard equipment and qualified staff. It all boils down to finance.
We need photocopying machines, laptops, printers and a diesel generator. We already have a bus but more vehicles (at least 2 small cars) to move our members around during investigations and special events.
We already have a building in our Lagos Headquarters but we need to employ qualified staff, particularly a good Administrative Secretary and two Media Assistants. We have six staff presently but they are all junior staff (driver, messenger, clerk, securityman, acting admin secretary and Social Media Officer).
Our staff still receive poor salaries because we cannot afford to pay more. This is due to low income as we have very few donors and pledgers. We receive no foreign aid whatsoever, not even from any Arab country.
As a matter of urgency, MURIC needs at least two experienced communicators as media assistants (one Senior Media Assistant and the other a Media Assistant). They will be working with the director so that we can be sure that the struggle will not be affected even when the director cannot do certain things. But such staff must be placed on attractive salaries.
This is how to plan for continuity. This is Plan A. Certain nitty grities cannot be made public. Plan B will soon be announced.
We therefore need stabilisation fund as a matter of urgency. This is necessary in order to enable MURIC to stand on its feet.
Our estimate of the amount needed for the procurement of equipment, payment of salaries and office maintenance for at least the next two years is N19,020,000 (nineteen million and twenty thousand naira).
BREAKDOWN OF COST IMPLICATION OF IMMEDIATE NEEDS
1. 2-year salaries of staff @ N255,000 per month …..,………………………………….N6,120,000
3. Equipment …
(a) photocopying machine Kyocera
(fairly used, new one is above N1
million) …………………………….. 300,000
(b) 3 laptops HP Core i7 @ N680,000……..
…,………………………………………..2,040,000
(c) 3 Kyocera printers @ 40,000 …120,000
(d) 20 KV Tekins Diesel generator
…………………………………………. 3,200,000
(e) 2 small Corolla cars (fairly used) @ N2,900,000 … N5,800,000
4. Office maintenance for 2 years @
N60,000 per month (NEPA & other bills,
fuel for generator, etc)………….. 1,440,000
TOTAL ……………….N19,020,000
Total amount in words…nineteen million, twenty thousand naira only.
The first heroes of Badr (623 C.E.) who fought behind the Prophet (SAW) used swords, bows and arrows but all we need today is jihad of intellect and the mobilisation of funds.
Just one Muslim can donate this amount but he will earn all the rewards. We appeal to you to join hands with us in sourcing this amount within the Ummah. Donate any amount you can afford for the liberation of Nigerian Muslims.
Our bank account details are:
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC),
Jaiz Bank,
Account number : 0003812255
Jazakumullahu khayran jaziilan.
Please send this message to your Muslim contacts. Those who share this message to at least 313 Muslims will earn the same rewards as those who contribute financially. They will be our heroes of Badr for the year 2021.
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
Saturday, 28th July, 2021
