By Ishaya Ibrahim
Bashir Ahmad, a former aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari has joined the Islamic moral police, Hisbah, in asking non-Muslims to avoid eating in public during this month of Ramadan.
Recall that the Kano State Hisbah Board, through its director-general, Abba Sai’Idu advised residents of other religions not to eat openly or do anything publicly that would undermine the Islamic religion or put those fasting into temptation.
Ahmad, while referencing the directive from the Hisbah board via a post on his X handle, said while there’s no stated rule in Islamic tradition to ban non-muslims from eating publicly, respect and consideration for those fasting should make them abstain from public eating.
He said: “It is important to note that no rule in Islam prohibits non-Muslims from eating in public during Ramadan. In fact, respect and consideration for others’ beliefs are highly valued in our religion. While non-Muslims living in a Muslim-majority community are NOT expected to fast during Ramadan, it is seen as a gesture of goodwill and respect for them to avoid eating, drinking, or smoking in public during daylight hours. This is simply out of consideration for the fasting Muslims around them, but it is not compulsory.”
