BEVERLY HILLS, AUGUST 24, (THEWILL) – The National Christian Elders Forum (NCEF) has disagreed with his Eminence, The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, over his statements last Saturday declaring that nobody can Islamize Nigeria.
Abubakar told Nigerians to forget the fears or suspicion of a grand plan to turn Nigeria into an Islamic State that it is impossible for a multi-religious country like Nigeria to be converted into a monolithic religious state.
However, according to the NCEF, in a press statement signed by its Chairman, Solomon Asemota, SAN, the group claimed Nigeria Was Islamised In 1986 when Nigeria joined the Organisation of Islamic Countries during the era of Military Dictator, Ibrahim Babangida.
Asemota revealed that 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.
“We respectfully disagree with the Sultan “that it is not possible to Islamize Nigeria” as she has already been Islamized,” the statement read.
“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.
“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’.
“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.
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.
“Some of us, Christians, are unable to accept as a result of lack of evidence that the Islamists doctrine of Jihad (Boko Haram and Fulani Herdsmen) is not acceptable to Nigerian Muslims. We say so because the conduct of government officials suggests intolerance, and preparation for Jihad.
“NCEF states that it is 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 Defence (Christian), Chief of Army Staff, Chief of air Staff, Minister of Defence, 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.
“No fewer than 23, 000 Nigerians have been killed 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.
“It would appear to the NCEF that since 1975, Stealth Jihad has been exhibited by the Jihadists in Nigeria. The Jihadists believe that Sharia law is the perfect system for human society. They worked (and are working by all means) to impose Islamic Law on Christians and those Muslims – the Ahmadiyya who support Western pluralistic governments and seek to live with non-Muslims as equals under secular rule.
“The Islamists have introduced, bit by bit, Sharia Law into the Nigeria society by demanding that Nigeria become an Islamic State while shouting down all those who dare to challenge their machination. They are well funded, organized and persistent. They will not be pacified by negotiation or compromises, and cannot be bought off.
“Permissible lying in Islamic law is not only permissible but obligatory for Muslims in some situation. Sharia law 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. 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.
“The fears of ‘Christian’ Niger Delta is that the Region may be abandoned to its fate by an Islamist Federal Government, after all, all ‘land in Nigeria has been bequeathed to the Islamists by Allah’ and therefore ‘reserves’ the right to abandon same as the British colonialists did in Jos after mining for tin ore.
“Niger Delta will then be saddled with unproductive land due to oil pollution and the rivers and streams polluted by crude oil will be devoid of fish and other marine resource. They will then be told that it is the wish of Allah.
“It will be safe to suggest that the Islamists have succeeded in weakening all opposition and are now prepared to launch the final jihad that will re-introduce the Sokoto Empire of the 21st Century.
“To achieve this, Nigeria’s 386 other ethnic nationalities must be impoverished and weakened to the extent that they will see Islam as the only way out of poverty, insecurity and heaven on earth and beyond.
“In other words, the Buhari Government is on a proselytizing mission. We are of the view that his quest for emergency powers to aid tackling economy, will aid proselytizing.
“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 State Religion.”
Story by David Oputah
