KANO State’s Islamic observance policing body the Hisbah Board has written to commercial radio station 96.9 Cool FM cautioning it on the use of the term Black Friday saying that it is forbidden in Muslim environment.
Black Friday is an informal name used for the Friday following the US Thanksgiving Day in which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every November. Historically, the term is used worldwide to mean a day for promotional sales where goods are sold at discounted prices as part of the Thanksgiving celebrations.
To mark the occasion, 96.9 Cool FM has described today as Black Friday but the action has attracted the ire of the Kano State Hisbah Board. Abubakar Ali, the principal executive officer of the board, wrote to the radio station pointing out that Friday is regarded as a holy day in Islam and tagging it as black is derogatory and would not be condoned.
His letter reads in part: “I am directed to write and notify you that the office is in receipt of a complaint for the conduct of Black Friday Sales on November 27, 2020. Accordingly, we wish to express our concern on the tagging of Friday as Black Friday and further inform you that the majority of the inhabitants of Kano State are Muslims that consider Friday as a holy day.
“In view of the foregoing, you are requested to stop calling the day Black Friday with immediate effect and note that the Hisbah Corps will be around for surveillance purposes with a view to avoiding occurrence of any immoral activities as well as maintaining peace, harmony and stability in the state.”
