Outrage as Kano Sharia court sentences musician, Sharif-Aminu to death

…Sharif-Aminu is sentenced to death for allegedly producing a song that blasphemes the holy prophet

Condemnations have erupted in the country as an upper Sharia court at the Hausawa Filin Hockey area of Kano State sentenced a singer, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu to death by hanging over alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.

The 22 year-old was accused for the song he produced and widely shared on WhatsApp in March, as irate protesters burnt down his family residence and gathered, asking for his head at the headquarters of Hisbah, Islamic police.

However, the Sharif-Aminu pleaded guilty of the offence he was accused of, but the presiding judge over his trial, Khadi Aliyu Muhammad Kani said he could appeal against the judgment.

According to reports gathered, the content of the song was accepted by some followers of the Tijaniya Muslim brotherhood, but unfortunately termed as profane by detractors who faulted it as elevating an imam than the revered Prophet Muhammad.

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In the demonstration against Sharif-Aminu in March, the leader of the action, Idris Ibrahim told BBC that the judgment would function as a warning to others who might have such profane tendencies.

“When I heard about the judgment I was so happy because it showed our protest wasn’t in vain. This will serve as a deterrent to others who feel they could insult our religion or prophet and go scot-free,” he said.

Sharia court system was adopted in the early 2000s to be parallel with other state laws and judicial systems in the North as Kano State known to be the leading force in executing it.

The ruling on Sharif-Aminu’s trial surfaces four years after a Sharia court in a secret trial passed down a death sentence to Abdulazeez Inyass for blaspheming against Islam.