Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has asked Nigerians to stop associating bandits with Islam, even if they may be Muslims or practise the Islam.
He said it is a complete misrepresentation linking Islam to terrorism.. He urged the government to ensure they feel the full weight of the law on terrorists to restore peace, unity and development in the affected communities.
He said this as co-chairman at the first meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Abuja recently.
The event was themed “Religious Literacy for National Cohesion,” the Sultan said ignorance, illiteracy and poor religious understanding, particularly among some Islamic leaders, are key factors fuelling crises in Nigerian communities often linked to religion.
He opined: “Let’s give bandits and terrorists their rightful names and treat them as such. We should stop calling them Islamic terrorists, even if they may be Muslims. In Islam, if you take one life, it is like taking the life of all humanity. The Holy Book refers to humanity not Muslims or Christians alone.
“You cannot go to the market strapped with explosives, kill yourself and others while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar,’ and expect heaven. Such a person’s place is hell, not paradise.
Terrorists and bandits are criminals and we should treat them as such, not as Muslim criminals or Muslim bandits.” Speaking on those who assume religious authority, he stated that does not equate to Islamic knowledge. “Arabic is a language, not a certificate of Islamic scholarship.
Even Christians in Jordan and other Arab countries use Arabic in their religious practices because it is the language of the community,” he said.
The Sultan maintained that religious clerics must be well informed to speak responsibly about Islam and Christianity, noting that both faiths share common values.
“We must engage one another with trust, confidence and honesty. The fear that Muslims plan to decimate the Christian population in Nigeria should be disregarded.
“More Muslims are killed in this wave of terrorism. When violence occurs in places like Benue or Plateau, Christians are often the victims because they are the majority there.
In places like Maiduguri, Kebbi or Sokoto, more Muslims are killed because they form the majority.” Reacting to criticism that Muslim leaders have not spoken out enough, he said:
“I have repeatedly condemned these acts in various fora, including statements through the NSCIA and JNI but some still say it is not enough.
Do they expect us to go to the market shouting like mad people? We cannot do that. We speak less publicly but work diligently behind the scenes.”
In his own remarks, the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh, who also serves as NIREC co-chairman, described Nigeria as a nation of immense ethnic, cultural and religious diversity, stressing that such diversity could be a source of strength if properly harnessed, but a source of division if misunderstood or manipulated.
