By Dr IBRAHEEM DOOBA
I just read the well-articulated but depressing report by Professor Yusuf Usman from the Annual International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Washington DC. Yusuf Usman’s account was published in the DailyTrust of today.
From the report, one could see that the submissions made by the Christian delegation from Nigeria were lies – deliberately and shamelessly told. And I wonder what they aim to achieve with this attitude.
The Qur’an says that you will find among those close to the Muslims those who call themselves Christians. Indeed, we find such Christians among our neighbours and friends in Nigeria. Even internationally, we see those Christians every day even among the clergy.
For example, I recently posted a video of a Professor from Oxford who is a reverend and who believes that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was indeed a prophet of God.
However, many of the church leaders in Nigeria do not fit the Qur’an description of such fair and just Christians. They spread false information at will about Islam. We see their videos daily on social media preaching hate to their congregations.
That makes them dangerous.
Here are some of their claims in Washington. Read and weep:
“Terrorist Fulanis and Kanuris are systematically targeting and killing Christians
“Armed Muslim militia are deliberately targeting Christians and churches with the full complicity of the government.
“Blasphemy law that enabled the killing of Deborah Yakubu Samuel in Sokoto.
“The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Ondo State made an emotional presentation asking for the world’s help after asserting that on Sunday, June 5, 2022, “armed Fulani terrorists” massacred at least 40 worshippers in his diocese at St Francis Catholic Church, Owo.
“A Christian lawyer told the summit that the Kaduna State Government enacted a law requiring only Christian clerics to be licensed before they could preach.
“A claim that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set up over 20 polling stations in Niger Republic to enable Muslims in that country to vote for the Nigerian Fulani Muslim candidate
“The threat of secession if Nigeria is not renegotiated.”
In response, I will leave you with six questions:
1. Was Deborah killed in Sokoto on account of a blasphemy law as they claimed? Indeed, the Sokoto State Government came out openly to condemn the killing. As wrong as it was, Deborah was killed not because she was Christian. Muslims too have been killed by mobs for the same offence.
2. Isn’t it a fact that Boko Haram and bandits have kidnapped more and killed more Muslims than Christians?
3. Weren’t the Tegina school children in Niger State kidnapped from an Islamic school?
4. Doesn’t that show that the outlaws are equal opportunity terrorists?
5. Recently, Almajiri (Muslim students) were rescued from a church by security agents – stopping their conversion to Christianity. Has any mosque in Nigeria ever abducted a group of Christian children for the purposes of conversion?
6. While the church leaders report fiction, isn’t it a fact that northerners are killed in the Southeast regularly because of their tribe and religion?
