The international cable television network, GOTV, has been accused of forcing Christian televangelism on Nigerian Muslims.
The allegation was made by an Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). In a widely circulated press release signed by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the organization demanded stoppage of the use of ‘Faith’ channel on the first Channel of GOTV with immediate effect, describing it as offensive, nauseating and denigrating.
The full press release says:
“A plethora of complaints has flooded the headquarters of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in the past 30 days concerning the disturbing allocation of a prime channel on the popular international cable television network, GOTV, to ‘Faith’, a popular Christian programme used for televangelism.
“According to the complainants, the first channel on GOTV which used to feature the advertisement of programmes on its other channels has now been dedicated to ‘Faith’ alone such that users of GOTV are compelled to watch the Christian channel willy-nilly once they switch on their television sets.
“This is an obvious extension of trammadolised religiousity to a provocative level, a strangulation of Nigerian Muslims with a Christianised hangman’s noose and a grinding subjection of the totality of the Nigerian Muslim psyche to trauma, assault and derision. It is offensive, nauseating and denigrating.
“GOTV is taking undue advantage of its licence, abusing its priviledged position and infringing on Allah-given fundamental human rights of Muslims to use of television, choice of programme and freedom to navigate television channels.
“On behalf of more than 130 million Nigerians, MURIC demands immediate cessation of the ‘Faith’ programme on this prime channel and its return to its former channel or any other of GOTV’s choice.
“By allocating its first channel to the Christian ‘Faith’ televangel programme, GOTV has made Christianity its numero uno agenda in the country and relegated Islam to the bottom of the pyramid. It is religious apartheid and Nigerian Muslims will not accept relegation to third class citizenship in a country where they enjoy comfortable demographic lead.
“For a starter, Nigerian Muslims will be forced to start de-subscribing from GOTV if this obnoxious, prejudiced and ill-advised practice is not halted within seven days counting from Monday, 2nd December, 2024. Other peaceful, legitimate and constitutional anti-GOTV actions may follow as deemed necessary if the service provider fails to comply.
“Meanwhile, MURIC appeals to Nigerian Muslims to continue to exercise patience and to remain peaceful and calm. We must not give in to provocation, lawlessness and violence. The law is on our side and we have the right to reject a service provider that has no respect for our faith or for its Muslim customers.”
“GOTV will also do better by returning to its original practice whereby the last station watched by consumers opens immediately they switch on their television sets. Nigerians are going through enough stress and GOTV has no right to escalate tension in the nation’s anatomy.”