Two prominent
Nigerian religious leaders the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, and
the National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo
Oritsejafor, yesterday, openly differed on the war being waged against Nigeria
by the Boko Haram insurgents.
Although the two religious leaders agreed that the Boko Haram
sect had committed serious havoc against the country and its people, they
disagreed sharply on why the sect has continued to unleash unabated violence on the nation. Continue..
The two men of God spoke at a roundtable meeting with special advisers on religious affairs drawn from the 36
states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory held at the old
Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The programme with the theme “Toward synergising and interfacing
in the religious sector for national development” organised by the Offices of
the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Islamic and Christian Matters
was declared open by Vice President Namadi Sambo.
In effect, Abubakar had insisted that Islamic leaders had done
their best to dissuade the sect from committing further destruction of lives
and property while the CAN President punctured the claim, saying that the
Islamic leaders had not done enough in that regard.
Muslim leaders have tried so
much—Sultan
According to the Sultan, Islamic leaders have “tried so much” to
preach against the activities of the sect but Oritsejafor said such effort was
not strong enough to prevent the insurgents from further mayhem.
The Sultan maintained that there was no problem between Islam
and Christianity in Nigeria, pointing out that if there was any problem between
the two major religions, it would have been dealt with at that level.
Abubakar, however, blamed the rising level of insurgence on lack
of education about religions which breeds lack of trust and sincerity.
He regretted that while Islamic leaders have continued to
condemn the insurgents, they are still being accused of not doing enough. This,
he said, was not fair to the religious leaders.
He said, he had personally gone across the globe to preach peace
and uphold the fact that there is no problem between Islam and Christianity.
In his quest for peaceful relationship between adherents of the
two religions, the Sultan said he had written two separate lengthy letters to
the Catholic Pope and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
He said when people were asking Islamic leaders to sit with
insurgents and discuss, they fail to note that the current situation could not
be compared to the activities of militants in the Niger Delta.
Abubakar said: “In a situation where Muslim leaders condemn
insurgents and they will still be told they have not done enough. That is not
fair. We don’t tell ourselves the truth. Followers are not telling the leaders
the truth, and the leaders will think they are doing the right things.
“If the governor in Sokoto is told that he should sponsor four
people to Christian pilgrimage, so be it. It is government’s fund. If a land is
needed in Kano for a church, they should get it after following the due
process.
“Muslim leaders have tried so much. I have gone across the globe
to say that there is no problem between Islam and Christianity.
We are not going deep enough —Oritsejafor
Oritsejafor said: “But if we would come together there must be
sincerity, equality, fear of God and genuine love for one another. The problem
with gatherings like this is that if we are not careful it becomes an occasion
for good photographs, we shake hands, we talk very nicely, we are all
politically correct. We don’t want to offend each other. Please let’s offend
each other, we need to. Because if we don’t offend each other, we will not tell
each other the truth and that is part of Nigeria’s problem.
“If you come out to say certain things, there are those who feel
you are rocking the boat, but God is in the boat, the boat will not sink. Let
us talk to each other, let’s tell the truth to each other and let’s not sweep
it under the carpet. When we finish the opening ceremony and you go into the
close door session, lay all the cards on the table.
“It is truth your Eminence that Christianity and Islam have no
problem but I’m glad you said, there could be problem between Christians and
Muslims and the reason is because probably we are not going deep enough.”
Likening Nigeria to the boat in the Holy Bible that wanted to
sink with Jesus Christ on board but did not sink, he noted that many things
have happened in Nigeria that have rocked the boat, but the boat has remained
standing.
He said: “Some are religious, political, tribal, but different
things have happened that have rocked the boat. But let me still thank the Lord
that the boat is still floating.”
Querying why a church in the North in the last 30 years have not
been able to get a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for land, he said any
mosque or church should be able to get C of O anywhere in the country.
Letter to Boko Haram
He charged the Sultan to also write a letter to Boko Haram to
stop their attacks and not just the letter to the Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria (ISIS).
He said: “His Eminence said he wrote a letter to ISIS, I have to
truly congratulate you for that because that was a very good move. I didn’t
know about it until today and I am so glad it happened. But I want to appeal
that you also write to Boko Haram because Boko Haram is worst than ISIS. They
have killed more people than ISIS, they have caused more atrocities than ISIS.
They need to be written to as well, it is very important it will help.”
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