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