Nigerian Islamic Court Bans Satirical Play on Sharia Law

October 7, 2007

Author: Staff Writer

Source: AFP

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gfMI94-7KHEf-SUGBKzXnih9V-og

An Islamic court in northern Nigeria has banned a play written by a civil rights activist which satirises the implementation of Sharia law in 12 mainly Muslim states, court papers show.

The upper Sharia court in the Tudun Wada neighbourhood of the northern city of Kaduna issued an order restraining Shehu Sani from selling or circulating his play, "Phantom Crescent".

The order, which also bans performances of the play, was issued October 3 in response to a motion filed by Concerned Sharia Forum, a pro-Sharia group based in Zaria, 70 kilometres (43 miles) north of Kaduna.

This court grants an order restraining the defendant "from selling or in any way circulating the book titled "Phantom Crescent," the order, received by AFP Sunday, read.

"I have received the court order which we will comply with but which we will challenge legally,", Sani told AFP on the telephone from Kaduna .