Oritsejafor: Don’t Let Emotions Run Away With Reason

By Mohammed Imam Yusuf

05/01/2012

Admittedly, the Christmas Day suicide attack on innocent worshippers at the St. Theresa Catholic Church at Madalla in Suleja, Niger State was a devastating embarrassment to majority of Nigerian Muslims who believe in peace, tolerance, harmonious coexistence and the unity of Nigeria. Any attack on Christian worshippers by extremist groups exposes other Muslims to the potential danger of retaliation, which could threaten the country’s delicate unity. Under this tense situation, leaders have a responsibility to calm frayed nerves rather than escalating the situation by adding fuel to the flame.

In his widely published adverts, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor threw caution to the wind to hold Muslims collectively responsible for the actions of the Boko Haram Islamic fringe group. In his words, “If the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs does not take positive action towards resolving the threat to our security by extremist sects, particularly the Hausa and Fulani Muslims of Northern Nigeria, we might be forced to review our Christian/Muslim collaborative efforts towards peace building”.

He also warned that the Christian Community nationwide may be left with no other option than respond appropriately if there are further attacks on “our members” (Christians). Unless there is a hidden reason for his attacks Oritsejafor must get his facts right because he launches the criticism against the Hausa-Fulani. Anyone with rudimentary knowledge of the political geography of this country knows that the Boko Haram elements are essentially Kanuri boys, not Hausa-Fulanis.

The CAN President sounded as if the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has a magic solution to the Boko Haram embarrassment. How do you deal with invisible extremists who don’t even recognize institutions like Jama’atul Nasir Islam (JNI) and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA)? How many Muslims Clerics were felled in Borno State for daring to criticize the atrocious activities of Boko Haram? Should the Hausa/Fulani be held generally accountable for the actions of a renegade group? If Boko Haram could listen to voices of reason from Muslim leaders, their violence would not have escalated to this level. Which responsible Muslim would have supported the attack on Christian worshippers when they themselves would need the same constitutional protection to practice their religion in an atmosphere of peace and security?

As the Sultan of Sokoto, His Royal Eminence, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar told President Jonathan, Muslims and Christians are not at war because of the thoughtless and embarrassing actions of extremists.

Why didn’t America and other Western nations expel Arabs from their territories because of the activities of Al-Qaeda terror network after the September 11, 2001 suicide attacks on the World Trade Centre? The activities of an extremist minority are no justification to throw Muslims and Christians at each other’s throats.

In Norway, last year, a Christian extremist gunned down 89 innocent youths. Should his action mean that all Christians are heartless killers and should be held generally accountable for his misguided extremism? Should nations automatically go to war on the basis of extremist irrational outrage?

As a leader, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has a heavy responsibility to demonstrate cool-headedness, temperance and sobriety at this difficult moment. Instead, his unguarded utterances would only go a long way to instill fear and distrust among Muslims and Christians.

Extremist violence cannot be resolved by throwing collective responsibility on the shoulders of all Muslims. Saudi Arabia enforces some of the toughest laws against extremists, including the official expulsion of the late Osama Bin Laden in 1994. In fact, the late Al-Qaeda leader was even officially stripped of his citizenship by the Saudi authorities. Therefore, should Saudi Arabians be held accountable for the murderous activities of terrorists merely because the perpetrators are Muslims? Is the idea of guilt by association a fair way to find a viable solution to the Boko Haram challenge?

Oritsejafor’s insinuations, linking “some prominent northern Muslim politicians” to what he called “the increased incidences of violence” is most unfair and unbecoming of his status. Attacking the innocence of people without proof is outside the calling of a revered religious leader.

The CAN President should borrow a leaf from the Northern Christian Elders Forum, NOCEF and the leadership President of CAN in the 19 Northern States. In their reaction to the incident at Madalla, the Northern chapter of NOCEF, while expressing outrage and explaining the limit of their patience under provocation, demonstrated good judgment. According to those leaders, whose position was signed by Archbishop Peter Jatau and three other leaders,

“We reach out to all Muslims in our country from the highest levels of leadership to the ordinary peace – loving citizens and call on them to work with us to fight against the evil of sectarian violence of Boko Haram. They argued that they love peace and cannot do it alone and they were ready to work with other Nigerians to unite the country in the collective effort to stop Boko Haram from breaking up the country”.

Whether as Muslims or Christians, we should not abandon the efforts to build and sustain the unity of Nigeria. Division and disunity among Christians and Muslims can only play into the hands of extremists. Death and destruction are not encouraged by any religion. Singling out certain political and institutional leaders for blame over the action of renegade groups is counter-productive to the efforts to confront the current security challenges of Nigeria. Leading Northern Muslim leaders such as Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi and several others have all condemned the criminal and unwarranted attack on Christian worshippers at Madalla.

They cited authorities from the Holy Qur’an and other religious scriptures, which abhor violence against the innocent and suicide. It is therefore, most unbecoming of Oritsejafor to shut his eyes and ears to the well-meaning efforts by top Muslim leaders to separate the Boko Haram violent agenda and the larger interest of Muslims in the North and Nigeria as a whole. No one has the right to take another’s life by criminal means and this was the message Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi and other Islamic leaders had put across to Nigerians. Collective blackmail of Muslims in general is unhelpful at this critical point when the nation must be united to find a common solution to this security challenge.

Imam Yusuf is a community youth activist, based in 101, Isa Kaita Road, Kaduna

Source: Leadership.ng

URL: https://newageislam.com/war-terror/oritsejafor-don’t-let-emotions-run/d/6302