Mubarak Bala

Mubarak Bala (Born 1984[1] [2]) is a Nigerian atheist and president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria. Bala has faced persecution and arrest for leaving Islam and publicly expressing atheist views.[3]

The Nigerian Islamic court Kano State High Court on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, sentenced Mubarak to 24 years imprisonment for blasphemy, after pleading guilty to an 18-count charge of blasphemy and public incitement.[4][5][6][7]

Life

He was born in Kano State, Northern Nigeria in the mid 80s,[8] was forcibly committed to a psychiatric institution in Kano for 18 days in 2014, where he was forcibly drugged. One doctor suggested there was nothing wrong with Bala but a second doctor suggested a personality disorder and, according to Bala, told him:

My dear, you need a God, even in Japan, they have a God, no one should live without God, those that do, are all psychologically ill, denying the biblical account of Adam and Eve is delusion, denial of history.[9][10][11]

The International Humanist and Ethical Union has taken up the case and feels Bala's Human rights were violated.[12][9] According to the IHEU, "The real reason for this outrageous and inhumane action is because Mubarak has renounced Islam and has openly declared himself to be an atheist."[13] On 4 July 2014, the BBC reported that Bala had been released from hospital in conjunction with a doctors' strike, and was seeking reconciliation with his family. It was not yet clear if he would remain in Northern Nigeria, due to death threats.[14]

Conviction under Islamic law

Mubarak Bala decided to stay in Nigeria and was named president of an organisation called the Nigerian Humanists. In April 2020, he was arrested in Kaduna for blasphemy due to a Facebook post he made,[15] and has been held without charge since then (as at 15 May 2020). Due to the fact that the Nigerian police allegedly transferred him from Kaduna to Kano, where Shariah law is practiced and in the face of several credible death threats[16] fears are mounting for his safety. Leo Igwe has been working hard to fight for his rights, working with several atheist and humanist organisations, notably Humanism International and Atheist Alliance International. Also, the newly formed International Association of Atheists (IAA) joined forces to raise awareness and funds to help pay Mubarak's legal costs. Recently, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) took an interest in Mubarak and have started applying pressure on the Nigerian government.[17]

On the 5th of April, 2022, Mubarak was sentenced to 24 years in prison at a high court in the Northern state of Kano after pleading guilty to all 24 charges and asking for leniency.[18]

Personal background

Mubarak Muhammad Bala is a chemical process engineer by education.[1][2][19] Bala has a wife and young son.[20][21]

Recognition

Mubarak was honoured with the Gordon Ross Humanist of the Year award in 2021 by the Humanist Society Scotland.[22]

Bibliography
  • Handbook of Research on Promoting Global Citizenship Education. United States, IGI Global, 2022.Page 260
  • The Routledge Handbook of Religious Literacy, Pluralism, and Global Engagement. United Kingdom, Taylor & Francis, 2021.
  • Falola, Toyin. Understanding Modern Nigeria: Ethnicity, Democracy, and Development. United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 2021. Page 215
  • Brinkmann, Svend. Diagnostic Cultures: A Cultural Approach to the Pathologization of Modern Life. United Kingdom, Taylor & Francis, 2016. Page 13 & 111
  • Abdullahi, Aminu A. “A Season of Monotheism: Muslim Response to Humanist Cyberactivism in Northern Nigeria.” SocArXiv, 20 Feb. 2020. Web https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/vs58
  • Ibezim-Ohaeri, V. and Ibeh, Z. (2020) 'The Civic Space in Nigeria: Before and Beyond Covid-19', Baseline Report, Lagos: Spaces for Change

References
  1. Nzwili, Fredrick (2021-04-30). "Global pressure mounts for Nigerian atheist's release after year in detention". Religion News Service. Retrieved 2022-04-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. "Mubarak Bala 2021 Freedom of Thought Award". Humanists International. 2021-08-17. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  3. Maclean, Ruth (25 August 2020). "Outspoken Atheist, Arrested in Nigeria for Blasphemy, Hasn't Been Seen Since". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  4. https://www.ripplesnigeria.com/self-confessed-atheist-jailed-24-years-for-blasphemy-in-kano/
  5. Asadu, Chinedu (2022-04-05). "Nigerian atheist jailed for blasphemy over Facebook posts". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on 2022-04-05. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  6. "Nigerian atheist jailed for blasphemy over Facebook posts". www.aljazeera.com. 2022-04-05. Retrieved 2022-04-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. Khalid, Ishaq (2022-04-05). "Nigeria atheist Mubarak Bala jailed for blaspheming Islam". BBC News. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  8. "Mubarak Bala answers questions on his atheism in Nigeria". 18 December 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2018 – via www.thisisafrica.me.
  9. "Nigerian man detained in mental institute in Kano 'because he renounced Islam'". Independent.co.uk. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  10. Larson, Jordan (2014-06-25). "Nigerian Man Deemed Mentally Ill For Declaring Himself an Atheist". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  11. "Nigerian atheist's case isn't just about religion". Religion News Service. 2014-07-23. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  12. "Nigeria atheist Bala 'deemed mentally ill' in Kano state". 25 June 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2017 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  13. "Nigerian atheist forced into mental hospital for rejecting Islam". Nigeria Sun. Archived from the original on 24 July 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  14. "Nigeria atheist Bala freed from Kano psychiatric hospital". BBC News. 2014-07-04. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  15. "Mubarak Bala, President of Nigerian humanists, under arrest". Humanists International. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  16. "Mubarak Bala: Death Threats, Blasphemy and Police Investigation in Kano". Humanist Voices. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  17. "USCIRF Condemns Arrest of Prominent Nigerian Atheist, Mubarak Bala". USCIRF. 8 May 2020. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  18. Khalid, Ishaaq. "Nigeria atheist Mubarak Bala jailed for blaspheming Islam". BBC. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  19. Lagos, Associated Press in (2014-07-03). "Nigerian atheist faces death threats after release from psychiatric ward". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  20. "Soyinka: Nigeria is 'not a nation but a cage if we imprison people for their religious views'". The Africa Report.com. 2022-04-08. Retrieved 2022-04-11.
  21. George, Godfrey (2022-04-09). "I can't eat, sleep since my husband was jailed for blasphemy – Wife of Kano atheist". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  22. Wakonigg, Daniela (Jan 19, 2021). "Mubarak Bala ist "Humanist des Jahres"". hpd.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-04-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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