Every Nigerian is mandated to respect religious views of others regardless of orientation and mode of worship. Where the rights of one person stops, the other begins. While it is not acceptable to reduce any religious orientation via use of any form of defamatory actions, it is indeed barbaric to engage in jungle justice.
The death of Mrs. Bridget Agbaheme, in Kano and a man in Pandogari, Niger over alleged blasphemy is another downturn of our troubled existence as a people. There is hardly any sane Nigerian Christian who will unwittingly throw around lose words against Islam, knowing very well of attendant repercussion especially when in the midst of those who will not hesitate to exert ‘jungle’ punitive measures.
It is therefore unclear why the man and the woman, believed to be persons of Igbo extraction will have to die for blasphemy in the hands of angry mob. The two gory incidences seem to have correlation. The only thing missing is the degree of culpability of the deceased persons. It is also fuzzy if they ever made any blasphemous comment in the first place.
What if they made the wrong statements alleged, what if they were framed mischievously to be killed? Was there no other alternative way of dealing with them other than “beheading” or maiming to death? I do not want to go into religious interpretation of what probably could happen to those who verbally or physically attack Islam/ Muslims, the act of killing must be condemned.
It is indeed necessary for Muslim Clerics to educate faithful’s on the exemplary life of Mohammad (SAW). It is on record that an unbeliever slapped him, yet he ordered no attack. His uncle Abilaab calls him abusive names and insults him publicly instead, he preached patience and prayers. He never ordered anyone to behead or mob his attackers.
Nigerians cannot continue on the path of ethno-religious intolerance anymore. Extreme views over religion have led to pogroms in the past. Nigerians have suffered in the hands of extremists, who have killed senselessly for every conceivable reason. The tragic side of the killings is largely based on ethnic based hate, which has devastated any remnant of brotherliness left among Nigerians.
Already, anger is stirred up among Christian populated South. The stage is once again set for ugly reprisals if the heat is not doused. Uninformed thugs have rolled the dice in the North, some uninformed thugs in the South may make innocent Northerners pay the price. What if that happens? Certainly it will herald a pogrom all because some very senseless individuals decided to allow hate override their sense of judgment.
Nigeria is currently choking on economic strife, the country is also socially strangulated by terror groups from every cardinal point of the compass. The All Progressive Peoples Congress (APC) administration is led by a president who is sincerely interested in the good of the nation. Sadly, the nation stinks and at the same time sinks on account of socio-economic challenges, which some people are maliciously icing the cake of anomie.
Sadly, those who actually do the killings are not going to read this peace, they are not conscious of the harm their action will cause. I however take solace in the fact that their opinion/ religious leaders will read and address the anomalies that has made us so segregated, so fragmented and very hostile to each other.
It is sad for uneducated, unreligious bigots with demonic plans against other Nigerians to construe the administration of Buhari on ethno-religious underpinning. I am indeed glad the president, the Sultan of Sokoto the JNI have expressed sadness over the incident. The police must expedite action. Once they are dealt with according to the law, barbarism will be discouraged, further impunity prevented and that will guarantee genuine unity of Nigerians and Nigeria.
Politically we are not faring well too. Once I was against secessionist call – I am still against it. Actions like unnecessary killings, viral hate speeches on social media by misguided and misinformed cretins in Nigeria will certainly spur on agitators who will have more than enough reference points to sight in justifying their agenda for a splinter Nigeria.
The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has heralded a newer and possibly deadlier group under the auspices of Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF). These groups are wrapped around cleavage-based hate. The JNDLF in their statement is already set to actualize prediction of a splinter Nigeria. They did not mince words when they heaped their angst on President Muhammadu Buhari.
Intolerance based on ethnic and religious difference, ignorance of the law and misinterpretations of religious instructions, has further melted off the bandage that hold the regional enclaves of Nigeria in place. Nigeria has never been on the precipice of a collapse socially, politically and economically like this before.
The economic apocalypse is indeed worrisome. Managing other threats is a task that must be done with funds. Once Nigeria economy is forced to a cul-de-sac, it reverses the time of the country more than 60 years backward. The era of Stone Age existence beckons.
Written by Israel A. Ebije.
ebijeo5@gmail.com
@israelebije
