The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), a prominent Islamic human rights organization, has warned the international cable television network, GOTV, urging it to cease broadcasting the Christian televangelism programme Faith on its prime channel.
The complaint, which has garnered widespread attention, was made by MURIC’s Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, who labelled the move as “offensive, nauseating, and denigrating” to Nigerian Muslims.
According to the press release, the Faith programme, a Christian channel dedicated to televangelism, now occupies the first channel on GOTV, which was previously used to feature advertisements for other programs.
This shift, MURIC argues, forces GOTV viewers to watch Christian content by default when they turn on their television, regardless of their religious affiliation.
The organization asserts that the action represents an imposition of Christian religious content on the Muslim population, claiming it amounts to “religious apartheid.”
MURIC contends that GOTV’s decision to place Faith on such a prominent channel infringes on the rights of Muslim viewers, claiming it violates their freedom of choice and their right to navigate television programming without being subjected to unwanted religious content.
The group insists that the practice is divisive and unfair to Muslims in the country.
In response to the development, MURIC has demanded that GOTV immediately move the Faith programme to a different channel and return the first channel to its original use.
The group also warned that if the request is not met within a week (by December 9, 2024), they may initiate peaceful actions, including encouraging Muslims to unsubscribe from the service.
“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,” the statement concluded.
Angel Mark