A Nigerian author, Salma Yakubu, has called out the hypocrisy of her ‘Northern brothers’ who have been celebrating Zohran Mamdani’s historic election as New York City’s first Muslim mayor. Salma, in a Facebook post on Wednesday, November 5, said Mamdani wouldn’t have won an election in northern Nigeria because he is a Shia Muslim, a sect considered not Muslim enough’ by hardline Sunni groups. Though a Shia Muslim, Mamdani was raised in a family celebrating Hindu festivals and Islamic traditions. His mother is an Indian-American filmmaker, Mira Nair. Salma recalled when she was disqualified from participating in a Quranic competition because she is not a far north Muslim despite being the most knowledgeable in my class. The author said that Mamdani’s historic victory is an opportunity for Muslims to embrace and respect their differences, stressing that no Muslim is better than another. Since the news of the newly elected New York Mayor, Zohran Mamdani broke the internet, Ive been seeing my northern brothers celebrating simply because HE IS A MUSLIM, she wrote. Let’s judge ourselves harshly right now. Mamdani is a Shia Muslim. If he were in northern Nigeria, he wouldn’t be Muslim enough to win or be celebrated. Nobody would find him worthy of an important position peacefully. During my Islamiya days, I had been disqualified from participating in a Quranic competition because I was not a far north Muslim hence not a Muslim enough. Yet, I was the most knowledgeable and the first to complete learning the Quran in my class. My knowledge didn’t matter. For not being from the far north, I wasn’t Muslim enough. To this day, Muslim discrimination exists in our universities, neighbourhoods and workplaces. A Muslim from North Central can never be considered Muslim enough compared to a Muslim from NE or NW. My Islamic orientation is that of Izala. Everything I know about Islam is from Izalas point of view. Surprising? Therefore, I used to feel I was more righteous than any other (that was what I learned) Muslim until I learned and unlearned some fatuousness. Now, I refuse to be identified with any sect. A Muslim to me is a Muslim regardless of their orientation. In New York, a Shia Muslim was voted in (by Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Hindus, Atheists, Agnostics and other people who bought his campaign) as the Mayor in one of the biggest cities in the world. Nobody questioned his sect. To them, he’s just a Muslim. This may be sensitive to read but you are not a better Muslim than the other Muslims. A Hausa Muslim is not better than a Yoruba or Igala Muslim nor an Arab Muslim better than a non-Arab Muslim. An Izala is not better than Darika and Shia is not better than Kalakato (sorry). We are Muslims. We should embrace each other and sharing knowledge and understanding. If we can celebrate a Shia Muslim in America for representing Muslims all over the world, then why are we fighting our Shia neighbour, colleague and classmate? Don’t you see that a Muslim is a Muslim to any other person except his own brother? Only his brother identifies him as Shia, Darika, Tijjania, Izala etc. We can do better! Until the sun stops rising, Ill always be your best friend.
The post He is a Shia Muslim. He wouldn’t be Muslim enough to win in northern Nigeria – Author calls out the hypocrisy of her ‘brothers’ celebrating New York Mayor-elect appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.
