US embassy cable - 03ABUJA1467

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RELIGIOUS FREEDOM TIDBITS

Identifier: 03ABUJA1467
Wikileaks: View 03ABUJA1467 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Abuja
Created: 2003-08-27 08:23:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: PGOV KIRF PHUM PREL NI
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS ABUJA 001467 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, KIRF, PHUM, PREL, NI 
SUBJECT: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM TIDBITS 
 
------- 
SHARI'A 
------- 
 
 
1. (U)  The Amina Lawal case is to appear again before the 
Katsina State Shari'a Court of Appeal on Wednesday August 27. 
 Hearings have been delayed three times before for various 
reasons.  Meanwhile, the Jigawa State Shari'a Court of Appeal 
dismissed charges of rape (with a penalty of death by 
stoning) against one Sarimu Mohamed Barand on the grounds he 
was mentally ill.  Barand has been remanded to a psychiatric 
hospital, but the basis for the mental illness claim has not 
been released. 
 
 
----------------------------- 
STATE SUPPORT FOR PILGRIMAGES 
----------------------------- 
 
 
2. (U) Vice President Atiku told the Muslim-Christian Mutual 
Relations group August 25 that the GON is considering 
reducing its role in the sponsoring of religious pilgrimages 
to Mecca and Jerusalem to "regulating the environment and 
providing consular and health support services."  There were 
no indications of how firm this consideration is and whether 
it would be applied during this year's hajj. 
 
 
3. (U) Meanwhile, Governor Shekarau of majority-Muslim Kano 
State has selected a Muslim as the coordinator of the 
Christian Pilgrim Board, the body responsible for 
coordinating state-funded Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem. 
 While numerous officials of the Christian Association of 
Nigeria immediately protested, some accepted the decision due 
to allegations of corruption surrounding previous Christian 
coordinators. 
ROBERTS 

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