Blasphemy: US demands release of Sufi singer Sharif-Aminu in Kano
The United States has called for the release of Sufi singer Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, who faces execution on death row after being convicted of blasphemy.
The demand was made public by Hon. Riley Barnes during a hearing held by the Africa Subcommittee of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee. Barnes noted that the U.S. government is actively engaging with Nigerian officials and reaching out to Sharif-Aminu’s family, while advocating for a reassessment of Nigeria’s blasphemy laws.
The U.S. government, according to Barnes, prioritizes the cessation of attacks and violence in Nigeria. “We are pressing the Nigerian government and speaking with the relatives of Yahaya Sharif-Aminu,” he said. “While we urge the government to stop enforcing blasphemy laws, our main goal remains the reduction of violence and attacks.”
Barnes emphasized that success would be measured by diminished violence in the region.
Sharif-Aminu was arrested in March 2020 after sharing song lyrics through WhatsApp that were deemed blasphemous. Following his arrest, a mob destroyed his family’s home. He was convicted by a Sharia court in Kano State during what critics have described as a rushed trial, where he had no legal representation, and was sentenced to death by hanging in August 2020.
