Christian Elders to Sultan, Nigeria already an Islamic state
*Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar III
(Nigeria) National Christian Elders Forum, NCEF, has reacted to the statement by the Sultan of Sokoto, who allayed fears of a plot to Islamise the nation, saying that Nigeria was already an Islamic state and no longer a multi-religious nation as had said.
The Sultan of Sokoto has told Nigerians to forget the fears of
a grand plan to turn Nigeria into an Islamic State, saying "It is
impossible for a multi-religious country such as Nigeria to be converted into a
monolithic religious state.
“It is not possible to Islamize Nigeria. If God had wanted,
he would have created all Christians or all Muslims. We are not secular but a
multi-religious state because the people are so religious. We must respect one
another and understand the tenets of the two religions,” he had said.
In a statement by the National Chairman of NCEF, Elder
Solomon Asemota, SAN, he disagreed,
saying that Nigeria was a multi-religious state, based on the fact that the
Constitution which forms the basis, upon which our founding fathers agreed to
live together as a country, provides under Section 10 that “the Government of
the Federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as State Religion”.
According to him, Nigeria has multi-cultural and
multi-religious communities, tribes, ethnic nationalities but one nation.
"It is correctly assumed that in the interest of peace
and justice, the Constitution in Section 10 PROHIBITS the State from Religious
participation by way of recognizing one and two religions. Multi-religious
country does not fit the interpretation of Section 10 rather it is its
opposite. The Sultan’s interpretation,
we submit, is intended to justify Islam and Christianity as State religions
until Islam dominates to become de facto and de jure religion of Nigeria.
"Apart from Prof. Ben Nwabueze, most lawyers, Christian
and Muslim, shy away from the proper meaning of Section 10 of our Constitution.
It is our hope that this issue of whether Nigeria is a Secular or multi-religious
state will be subjected to proper conversation in the future. However, in the
interpretation of English words (not Arabic), Nigeria constitutionally, is a
secular State. We respectfully disagree with the Sultan “that it is not
possible to Islamize Nigeria” as she has already been Islamized.
"By taking Nigeria into the OIC in 1986, Military
Dictator, Ibrahim Babangida officially turned Nigeria into an Islamic State.
The Charter of OIC concerning membership stipulates that a country should,
first and foremost, be persuaded that it is an Islamic nation before it can
apply for membership.
"Simply by the act of the application for OIC
membership, Babangida tampered with the secularity of the Nigerian State. That
unilateral decision should be reviewed because it violates Section 10 of the
Constitution.”
He noted that in 2007, a British Elementary School teacher
in Sudan, an Islamic State with Christians, Gillian Gibbons, was convicted for
“insulting religion” and threatened with death for allowing her students to
name a teddy bear Mohammed. Sudanese President, Omar al Bashir pardoned Gibbons
after an international outcry. It would
appear that insulting religion has been extended to insulting the President in
Nigeria.
NCEF drew attention to a recent report of “Man who named his
dog Buhari re-arrested and to appear in court,” saying that the report at page 5 states,
“The Ogun State Police Command has said it had re-arrested Mr. Joe Chinakwe,
who named his pet dog Buhari, noting that the suspect would be arraigned in
court on Monday. It also stated that Chinakwe who was earlier released a few
days ago, was picked up again based on Police belief that the suspect’s action
was capable of provoking an ethno-religious crisis.
“Police said the arrest was made to save the suspect’s life
because the complainant and his group have threatened to kill him if he comes
back and this may happen.
"If Nigeria is being run as a secular State, the
Constitution in Sections 10, 37, and 38 guarantees right of private and family
life, right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion that should protect
Joe Chinakwe and the complainant would have been arrested but because Nigeria
is an Islamic State, Joe Chinakwe has to face trial in the process promoting
"the most effective way to get rid of critics” is to instill fear in
ordinary Nigerians.
"One wonders if the dog had been named Gowon or
Jonathan would there have been any furore about the matter?"
NCEF states that it was not an expert on Muslim doctrine but
only relies on reading materials provided by Muslims including the Muslims
Brotherhood. In these documents Jihadists are advised that “They must
understand that their core task – eliminating and destroying the Western
civilization from within, is not negotiable as it is part of the basic duty of
every Muslim … it is a Muslim’s destiny to perform Jihad and work wherever he
is and wherever, until the final hours come.”
"It is as a result of the understanding (or lack of it)
of Civilized Jihad that we are apprehensive of those in the “Security and
Intelligence Committee” of the Federal Government by some unexplained reasons
are mainly Muslims.
"President Buhari, (Muslim), Chief of Defense
(Christian), Chief of Army Staff, Chief of air Staff, Minister of Defense,
Minister of Internal Affairs, Inspector General of Police, National Security
Adviser, Director General of DSS are all Muslims from the North. We are not too
sure whether the Vice President is a member of this Committee following
information that he was once excluded from the meeting the President
called. When the Vice President summoned
the same meeting in the absence of President Buhari who was away in the UK, there
was resistance and the meeting had to end abruptly.
"Military might consists of Army, Navy, Air Force,
Police, Intelligence Service, Civil Defense, Road Safety, Vigilante, Sharia
Police in addition to Boko Haram that was reported in the Sunday Vanguard to
have killed "No fewer than 23,000 Nigerians since the outbreak of the Boko
Haram insurgency in the North/Eastern part of Nigeria. Within the same period,
a total of 2.15 million persons have been displaced from their homes and
communities as a result of the conflagration.
"The atrocities committed by Fulani Herdsmen such as
number of persons killed, farmland and buildings destroyed with other
properties during the same period were not included.
"The conclusion which we, Christians draw is that Jihad
is being committed against our country Nigeria especially when the cohesive
instrument of state is in the hands of three ethnic nationalities and one
religion. This enlists fear in the minds of the populace especially Christians.
"Perhaps the most glaring mis-step taken by the Buhari
administration is in the Ministry of Education. It is important to some of us
Christians that “stealth or Civilized Jihad” should not be introduced in our
schools for fear that our children will be presented with a view of Islam that
white washes its violent history and intolerant religious imperatives based on
our experience with Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen.
"This explains why some of us Christians, are
uncomfortable that the Heads of National Universities Commission (NUC),
Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND),
Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Universal Basic Education
Commission (UBEC), National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB),
and National Teachers Institute (NTI) are all Muslims and one or two of them
Islamist Jihadists," the statement added.
According to the statement, permissible lying in Islamic law
is not only permissible but obligatory for Muslims in some situation.
Sharia law, it adds, has two standards of truth and
falsehood. In general, the Quran disapproves of Muslims deceiving other
Muslims, but approves lying for the promotion of Islam. Taqiyya is a concept in
Islamic law that translates as “deceit or dissimulation” particularly towards
infidels.
"We have to re-examine the roles of some State
Governors who say that they are converts from Islam to Christianity but merely
hiding their true identities for the promotion of Islamism in Nigeria or
members of the intelligence agencies who have penetrated the “Christian camp”
and hold high appointments in the Church, yet, remain Muslims after all.
"These are suspects who weaken Christians understanding
of Jihad and sabotage Christian organizations, such as CAN and various
Christian societies. The Church had one of such false converts pretending in
the Church for six years, and when he eventually genuinely converted to true Christianity,
Islamic fundamentalists attacked his home and one of his sons was killed. In
the above situation, how do Christians accept what some Muslim leaders say
without hesitation?
"His Eminence will appreciate why we, Christians are
suspicious of some of his pronouncements especially when we can read Taqiyya in
the story concerning our Chibok girls.
"For us Christians, our attitude must remain “Think
Christian, Act Christian” in the face of Islamist Jihadist ideologues that see
themselves as the New Colonialists.
NCEF therefore concluded that there is need to allay the
fears of the generality of Nigerians especially Christians based on the facts
above because prominent Christian elites and leaders, for reasons best known to
them, have refused or are unable to speak up.
"Since Christians are not in control of any political
party that would protect their interests as the Muslims, all Christians can do
is plead with the Sultan to respect the Constitution and must not regard it as
inferior to the Quran. There is a Bill now pending before the National
Assembly, titled “NGO Regulatory Bill” intended to silence NGO’s including the
Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN.
"It is not in dispute that Nigeria is an Islamic State
contrary to Section 10 of the Constitution. What is in dispute is whether
Nigeria is ruled by mainstream Muslims or by Islamist Jihadists.
"We plead with the Sultan to appreciate that Nigeria is
safer and more peaceful when the Government of the Federation or of a State
does not adopt any religion as a state religion," it added.
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