The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, has announced the formation of a working group tasked with documenting shrines and other religious establishments nationwide.
The Minister, addressing Parliament’s Committee on Assurances, disclosed that the group comprises the Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Directorate, the Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Directorate, and the Research, Statistics and Information Management Directorate.
He believes that identifying and clearly explaining what constitutes a shrine necessitates thorough evaluation and expert insight.
“This is due to the fact that a shrine encompasses multiple elements. Even as we sit here, the ability to count a shrine requires the granting of authority. When I see you, I will take off your shirt to conduct a thorough examination of your body. It is evident that the situation is not simple and straightforward,” he observed.
He stated that some persons living in a community may decide to set up a place and name it a shrine for religious practices highlighting the necessity to regulate the activities of such people .
The Minister emphasized that a primary duty of the committee is to establish a shared understanding of what constitutes shrines prior to the compilation of a nationwide database.
Mr. Ibrahim said that shrines can manifest in diverse ways and may encompass spiritual beliefs that often defy conventional legal classifications.
“A shrine might manifest in several ways. It might be a picture, a pen, or anything else. This is a matter of the spiritual world. And that is precisely why we must have an unwavering definition of a shrine,” he pointed out.
