By ISMA’IL ADAMU
(Take screen shots and quote me anywhere) ..not just in Muslim regions but anywhere in the world. Even the streets of Europe are no longer safe for people who blaspheme against the Prophet (PBUH). Even news media in the ‘free world’ have been stripped of the luxury to air or publish any item that is or could be interpreted, even wrongly, to be derogatory of his character. No country can afford the diplomatic and economic risks of allowing any news medium that operates in it the leverage to denigrate the Prophet’s dignity. Not after the 2015 invasion of the office of French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, at the heart of Paris where the invading gunmen killed 12 staffers that include cartoonists and editors after the magazine published caricatures of the Prophet.
Not too long ago, during the heated national debate to host the Miss World beauty pageant in Nigeria, a column appeared on Thisday newspaper of Saturday 16th November, 2001, in which journalist Isioma Daniel, 21, carelessly wrote that the Islamic prophet Muhammad would probably have approved of the Miss World competition by “choosing a wife from one of them” (the pageants). The outrage sparked by that article literally set the country ablaze and it took four days of frantic efforts to contain, despite a retraction and solemn apology by the paper. Thisday closed its offices and sales points in northern states and its reporters went into hiding.
By conservative estimates, about 250 people died in the riots; 1,000 injured; 25,000 lost their homes; more than 1,000 people were arrested on suspicion of inciting or partaking in the violence, and dozens of Islamic scholars declared Isioma Daniel’s blood lawful. In a statewide broadcast, the Zamfara State government through the then Deputy Governor declared that “Like Salman Rushdie, the blood of Isioma Daniel can be shed. It is binding on all Muslims wherever they are to consider killing of the writer as a religious duty.” The federal government had to quickly assemble some scholars to pass a contrary ruling, but Amnesty International hurriedly flew Daniel on exile to an undisclosed country in Europe where she is believed to have changed her name and kept her address secret; ‘never’, some say, to return to Nigeria.
Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks drew a caricature of the Prophet in 2007 but had to, though resident in a Christian country, live under police protection, use police bullet-proof car with puncture-proof tyres; was driven by the police with police escorts until 2021 when he died in a car crash. In those 14 years he survived several attempts on his life.
In Denmark, another Christian country, cartoonist Kurt Westergaard received several death threats after the publication of his cartoon depiction of Prophet Muhammad in 2005. It showed the prophet wearing a turban in the shape of a bomb — though the prophet had prohibited suicide. The cartoons sparked protests in Denmark and across the Muslim world. Danish embassies were attacked and dozens died in the riots that followed. Many Muslim countries also boycotted Danish products. After several attempts on his life, Westergaard lived in secret addresses with police bodyguards until he died of a domestic fire in 2021.
While there is no need to cite instances in the Arab, Stan, or Muslim countries, it is noteworthy that the fear that drove those cartoonists and journalist into hiding was not that of organized legal procedure but ‘mob action’.
The Sokoto Mob Action
At the risk of exposing reluctant Muslims to shame, it is a fact that 95% percent of the Muslims I know would, by impetus, react violently or at least wish they could, when the noble prophet is insulted or ridiculed; many out of this percentage would want a befitting legal action to be taken against the offender to deter a recurrence. The other 5% consist of nominal Muslims, apologists and those that are perched on the spiritual fence. Love for the Prophet is a matter of doctrine, an article of faith. Muslims have signed, in principle, a covenant to love him more than their parents and more than their own selves. The companions of the Prophet while addressing him, often used to open their statements with ‘fidaaka abiy wa ummiy Ya Rasuulallah…’ i.e ‘I give away my parents as ransom on your behalf, O Messenger of Allah…’. This communicates the depth of the love, that has filtered even deeper 1,400 years after his departure. This makes it too risky, outrightly irresponsible and mischievous for anyone to want to test the waters by stoking this fire. The least consequence is a mob action, the worst, war.
The Condemnations
In order to meet public expectations and fulfil official duty, leaders that occupy political and spiritual positions in the country condemned the mob action on the lady that uttered the blasphemous words. However most of their messages dwelt exclusively on the reaction by the mob, never the cause of the reaction. And that really astonishes as even from the rudiments of logic, we proceed from cause to effect, not the other way round. For instance ‘there was peace until Deborah blasphemed against Prophet Muhammad’. So, who disturbed the peace? Deborah.
Yet the country saw how Deborah was elevated to the status of a saint and the mob demonized. Such is our lot as a country — leaders that are just smart enough to provide a therapy, never a cure; that dwell on the symptoms, never the cause.
It’s Not about Deborah, It’s a Pattern
In recent time, Deborah was not the only person that was burnt in Sokoto, at least 40 bus passengers were stopped by bandits on their way to Isa and roasted alive right inside the vehicles. Nigerians saw photos and read of accounts of how a baby was roasted in the embrace of its mother. The difference between Deborah and that mother and infant is that Deborah stoked a fire that would have erupted into a religious riot while the mother and infant were totally innocent. However, Bello Turji who masterminded the attack on those innocent passengers is not only alive, well and at large but is reclined on a sofa somewhere, planning the next attack.
The Risk of Punishing the Sokoto Mob
Impunity… Being smart, the people that live in the southern part of Nigeria no longer wait on the judiciary to punish criminals. Apart from a culture that deeply abhors petty thieves, years of frustration with the English legal system has taught them to run mob courts in every village and street, one that tries and punishes within minutes; and everyone walks away fulfilled. Justice has been served. It happens every minute somewhere in those 17 states. Why not! Just last month, the President pardoned two former corrupt governors and 37 other convicts that were serving various jail terms. Past federal administrations had granted amnesty to pipeline vandals just as many state governments did convicted bandits. These are signals that Nigeria’s reward and punishment system is dead. If Deborah had been submitted to a court she might end up getting only a few years in court, as was the case with Mubarak Bala, the irresponsible atheist from Kano that also blasphemed against the Prophet. This would definitely create bad blood. And after serving the term, once the blasphemer is out of jail, the risk of getting killed is as certain as tomorrow’s sun. With a dead judiciary, once the option of jungle justice is ruled out, Nigeria will be totally uninhabitable.
Being responsible is the key
In Nigeria the urge to blaspheme is wholly a result of irresponsible preaching. It’s a fact that the Nigerian Muslim community has its house in order as far as blasphemy is concerned. No cases of burning the Bible or blaspheming against any religious figure. Muslims can hold their shoulders high that to date no Muslim has been found wanting. However the Apex Christian body in Nigeria, CAN, in its statement concerning the Sokoto incident only cared to call for the punishment of the mob that reacted to Deborah’s blasphemous words. It never has and never will admonish Christians against blaspheming against the person of the Noble Prophet of Islam. This means Deborah’s blasphemy will not be the last….
