Indeed, one of the
frequent manifestations among African countries is that those armed with
political powers have the knack for consistently robbing the people of their
fundamental rights, clearly guaranteed and enshrined in the constitution. A
similar violation was recently witnessed in Nigeria when some desperate members
of the National Assembly attempted to excise freedom of speech from the law,
clearly guaranteed under section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
I am very uncomfortable
with the silence around the world in the wake of Somalia's unlawful decision to
place a ban on Christmas celebrations in that country. To start with, it is
very pertinent to assert that not even the government of that country is armed
with the legal right to ban the celebration of Christmas. That is a very rough
violation of the fundamental rights of the Christians in that country, and
there is no existing law which supports such evil declaration. Article 18 of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is clear on this. It provides as
follows:
Everyone has the right to
freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to
change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with
others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in
teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 8 of the African
Charter on Human and People's Rights corroborates thus:
Freedom of conscience,
the profession and free practice of religion shall be guaranteed. No one may,
subject to law and order, be submitted to measures restricting the exercise of
these freedoms.
I must now crave the
indulgence of my readers to quote from the Constitution of the Federal Republic
of Somalia 2012, which is the major law of that country. And as we all know,
this Constitution binds every other law in that country, and every Somalian is
subject to the provisions of that law. Article 17, subsection 1 of the Somalian
Constitution provides as follows:
Every person is free to
practice his or her religion.
With the grand law of
that country making a clear provision for the free practice of religion, it
becomes incomprehensible to me why the Somalian government must resort to this
illegal, evil and demonic declaration by violently breaching the fundamental
human rights of a section of citizens of that country. There can be no other
way of trampling on people's rights.
Indeed, one of the
frequent manifestations among African countries is that those armed with
political powers have the knack for consistently robbing the people of their
fundamental rights, clearly guaranteed and enshrined in the constitution. A
similar violation was recently witnessed in Nigeria when some desperate members
of the National Assembly attempted to excise freedom of speech from the law,
clearly guaranteed under section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
I conclude by asserting
that the Somalian announcement is wicked, unlawful and extremely demonic! Like
it is said in Law, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Elias Ozikpu
Creative writer, social
commentator and human rights activist
SOURCE: SAHARA REPORTERS
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