The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Islam

  • Muslims, we have to critically review our understanding of Islam

    Word fall short to truly express my deep sadness and revolt in the face of the carnage perpetrated by terrorist groups such as the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

    I share profound frustration with a billion-and-a-half Muslims around the world at the fact that such groups commit terrorism while dressing up their perverted ideologies as religion. We Muslims have a special responsibility to not only join hands with fellow human beings to save our world from the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism, but also to help repair the tarnished image of our faith.

    It is easy to proclaim a certain identity in the abstract with words and symbols. The sincerity of such claims, however, can only be measured by comparing our actions with the core values of our self-proclaimed identities. The true test of belief is not slogans or dressing up in a certain way; the true test of our beliefs is in living up to core principles shared by all major world faiths such as upholding the sanctity of life and respecting the dignity of all humans.

    We must categorically condemn the ideology propagated by terrorists and instead promote a pluralistic mindset with clarity and confidence. After all, before our ethnic, national or religious identity comes our common humanity, which suffers a setback each time a barbaric act is committed. French citizens who lost their lives in Paris, Shiite Muslim Lebanese citizens who lost their lives in Beirut a day earlier and scores of Sunni Muslims in Iraq who lost their lives at the hands of the same terrorists are first and foremost human beings. Our civilization will not progress until we treat the suffering of humans regardless of their religious or ethnic identity as equally tragic in our empathy and respond with the same determination.

    Muslims must also reject and avoid conspiracy theories, which have so far only helped us avoid facing our social problems. Instead, we must tackle the real questions: Do our communities provide recruitment grounds for groups with totalitarian mindsets due to unrecognized authoritarianism within ourselves, domestic physical abuse, neglect of youth and lack of balanced education? Did our failure to establish basic human rights and freedoms, supremacy of the rule of law and pluralist mindsets in our communities lead those who are struggling to seek alternative paths?

    The recent tragedy in Paris is yet another reminder for both theologians and ordinary Muslims to strongly reject and condemn barbaric acts perpetrated in the name of our religion. However, at this juncture, rejection and condemnation are not enough; terrorist recruitment within Muslim communities must be fought and countered by an effective collaboration of state authorities, religious leaders and civil society actors. We must organize community-wide efforts to address all factors that aid terrorist recruitment.

    Ways of expressing support and dissent within democratic means

    We need to work with our community to set up the necessary framework for identifying at-risk youth, preventing them from seeking self-destructive paths, assisting families with counseling and other support services. We must promote a proactive, positive government engagement so that engaged Muslim citizens can sit at the table where counterterrorism measures are planned and share their ideas. Our youth should be taught ways of expressing support and dissent within democratic means. Incorporating democratic values into school curricula early on is crucial for inculcating a culture of democracy in young minds.

    In the aftermath of such tragedies, historically strong reactions have surfaced. Anti-Muslim and anti-religious sentiment as well as security-driven treatment of Muslim citizens by governments would be counter-productive. The Muslim citizens of Europe want to live in peace and tranquility. Despite the negative climate, they should strive to engage more with their local and national governments to help work toward more inclusive policies that better integrate their community into the larger society.

    It is also important for us Muslims to critically review our understanding and practice of Islam in light of the conditions and requirements of our age and the clarifications provided by our collective historic experiences. This does not mean a rupture from the cumulative Islamic tradition but rather, an intelligent questioning so we can confirm the true teachings of the Quran and the Prophetic tradition that our Muslim predecessors attempted to reveal.

    We must proactively marginalize decontextualized reading of our religious sources that have been employed in the service of perverted ideologies. Muslim thinkers and intellectuals should encourage a holistic approach and reconsider jurisprudential verdicts of the Middle Ages that were issued under perpetual conflict where religious affiliation often coincided with political affiliation. Having core beliefs should be distinguished from dogmatism. It is possible, indeed absolutely necessary, to revive the spirit of freedom of thought that gave birth to a renaissance of Islam while staying true to the ethos of the religion. Only in such an atmosphere can Muslims effectively combat incivility and violent extremism.

    In the aftermath of the recent events I am witnessing, with chagrin, the revival of the thesis of the clash of civilizations. I do not know whether those who first put out such a hypothesis did so out of vision or desire. What is certain is that today, the revival of this rhetoric simply serves the recruitment efforts of the terrorist networks. I want to state clearly that what we are witnessing is not a clash of civilizations but rather the clash of humanity with barbarity in our common civilization.

    Our responsibility as Muslim citizens is to be part of the solution despite our grievances. If we want to defend the life and civil liberties of Muslims around the world and the peace and tranquility of every human regardless of their faith, we must act now to tackle the violent extremism problem in all its dimensions: political, economic, social and religious. By setting virtuous examples through our lives, by discrediting and marginalizing the extremist interpretations of religious sources, by staying vigilant toward their impact on our youth, and by incorporating democratic values early in education, we can counter violence and terrorism as well as totalitarian ideologies that lead to them.

     

    • This article by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah GĂźlen was first published in Le Monde

  • Islam and the doctrine of peace

    The violence unleashed by terrorists, whom justify it as a doctrine of Islam, is out of control. The castigation of Islam as the catalyst for the atmosphere of violence to the point that Donald Trump would threaten to ban Muslims from entering the United States should he win the Presidential race next year, is outrageous. As a Muslim, who appreciates the misconceptions that are associated with religious extremism and violence, I feel an ardent responsibility to set forth the teachings of Islam that I understandin a mannerwhere expressions of numerous acts of violence are fully exposed for the misinterpretations they are.

    As a Muslim, I become saddened when I hear people attribute the kind of violence we are witnessing in this age to an Islamic teaching. I become troubled because, even though I know that Islam doesn’t, in anyway, encourage people to kill innocent civilians and engage in suicide bombings, I understand that these misconceptions exist. Misconceptions or misinterpretations, which give a justification for those, who choose to express their distorted extremism through the embrace of violent activities. Such extremists use Islam as a shelter to hurt others and their extreme interpretation of Islam as their justification. I often find myself elaborating on my understanding of the position of Islam on the kind of violence reported.

    It is regrettable that Islam, a religion of peace, hope, harmony, goodwill and brotherhood has been used to justify unwarranted acts of violence such as suicide bombings and hostage taking. I know that at the very base of Islam is the quest for freedom, justice and equality so when a Muslim condemns another because they do not share the same faith, that discrimination is totally foreign to the teachings and doctrines of the Islam I understand.

    In the Quran, God bestowed honour on every single individual, no matter their background, race or tribe. Liberty and everything that emerges from it are some of the great favors God has given us and concepts such as kidnappings and assassinations are not reflective of Islam, within context. Under the Islamic dispensation, a person should not be held captive as a prisoner against their will. Prisoners can only be taken in the event of acknowledged war and not for any other reason or under any other pretext. The Holy Quran specifically states:

    “It does not behove a Prophet that he should have captives until he engages in regular fighting in the land. If you take captives, except in regular fighting, you will be regarded as desiring the goods of this world, while ALLAH desires for you the Hereafter. And ALLAH is Mighty, Wise”.

    This verse negates any validation of hostage-taking and hijacking of innocent people not involved in actual combat. Furthermore, in his farewell address the Holy Prophet of Islam gave special instructions regarding good treatment which should be meted out to prisoners. The Holy Prophet said:

    “O men, you still have in your possession some prisoners of war. I advise you, therefore, to feed them and to clothe them in the same way and style as you feed and clothe yourselves… To give them pain or trouble can never be tolerated”.

    One of the most controversial terms that is used to lend credibility to the notion that Islam encourages violence is the concept of Jihad. Owing to the performance of some influence, the media envisages an incorrect perception of Jihad. The word Jihad bring into play the vision of a marching band of religious fanatics with savage beards, short trousers and fiery eyes, brandishing swords, screaming in Arabic and attacking those that are not Muslims.

    However, the true spirit of Jihad in Islamic terms means to endeavor and strive in a noble way. Over time this meaning of Jihad has been eradicated or, at least, diluted. The critical juncture in the Islamic world requires reviving and recapturing the true and pristine meaning of Jihad.

    Jihad can be divided into two broad categories. First is Jihad-e-akbar. This is Jihad against one’s own person to curb sinful inclinations, which is the purification of self. This is the most difficult Jihad and hence in terms of rewards and blessings is the highest category of Jihad. The second is Jihad-e-asghar. This is Jihad of the sword. This is communal Jihad and presupposes certain specific conditions. The Quran speaks of fighting only as a self defence and this is the very condition laid down in other verses of the Holy Quran as well. The so-called verse of the sword in the Islamic scripture is often taken out of context as if it inculcates an indiscriminate massacre of all non-Muslims. The Quranic words such as “kill whatever you find them” apply only in cases of self defence, they do not apply to unprovoked wars and battles. The Muslims who interpret these verses in any other manner commit a travesty of the lofty ideals of Islam. There is not a single instance in the life of the Holy Prophet where he offered the alternative of the sword or Islam to anyone.

    It must be remembered that the Holy Quran does not make Jihad, in context of an article of faith. The sayings and traditions of the Holy Prophet render it into a formula for active struggle that invariably and incorrectly tended towards a militant expression. Suicide bombings, hijacking and killing those of alternative and different faiths is contrary to the purview of the real spirit of the Islamic Jihad. The presentation of Islam as a crude and barbaric religion which gives itself the right to cause unwarranted human and material suffering and destruction under the guise of Divine authority is not the kind of Islam we find in the Holy Quran and in the precepts of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

    Among the attributes of God, the Holy Quran mentions that “He is the Source of peace and the bestower of security”. The establishment of peace and maintenance of security must, therefore, be the constant objective of all Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Every pursuit and activity which disturbs peace is severely condemned in Islam. We find specific injunctions in the Holy Quran: “And create not disorder in the earth after it has been set in order….” Mischief and wickedness are condemned in several other verses and Muslims are commanded to work wholly for peace”.

    The Holy Quran teaches that God has sent His revelation to all people from time to time. Many of prophets of the Old Testament are mentioned by name and so is Jesus who with other prophets is honoured and revered by all Muslims. Indeed, the Quran requires belief in the truth of all the Messengers of God and requires an affirmation in all prophets wherever they appeared and therefore it seeks to bring about reconciliation between the followers of different faiths and to establish a basis of respect and honour among them. The Quran says: “Surely, those who believe and the Jews and the Christians and the Sabians – whichever party from among these truly believes in ALLAH and the Last Day and does good deeds, shall have their reward with their Lord, and no fear shall come upon then nor shall they grieve”.

    The basic unity of the followers of all faiths is emphatically stressed in the Holy Quran and the creation of discord and disunity by terrorism or otherwise has no place in Islam. Islam is an all-encompassing codes of values and conduct and with those values, those of us that practice it must use its teachings as a ground of hope to progressively promote unity and accord in Nigeria rather than using it as a justification for violence.

    My greatest prayer is some break through, which will help extremists to embrace reason. However, regardless of the religion one is, only through conformity to the spirit of peace, unity, freedom, conscience and the promotion of human welfare can we achieve the ideal of a secure nation free of hatred and violence.

  • Islam and global warming

    Islam and global warming

    In Retrospect

    This article is not new. It was first published in this column in March 2013 as a reaction to a fortuitous incident that required a fortuitous reaction. Sometime early in January 2010, a rumour flew around in Nigeria through the e-mail and mobile text messages. It warned people against what was called an acid rain expected to fall in March that year. According to the message, anybody beaten by the rain would automatically become a victim of skin cancer. Although some people linked the rumour to a source in the US, the real source of the rumour remains a mystery even today as it could not actually be traced to the US. But trust Nigerians, they believe as much in superstition as they fear anything that can link them to death. Yet, they do not care about any solution to global warming.

     

    Preamble

    Climate change in the life of humans can be likened to the causes of life and death. We live by the climate and virtually depend on climate for survival. What is true of humans in this case is equally true of all other living organisms including wildlife and plants. Without a clement weather, survival becomes threatened and the ecosystem becomes the principal cause of that threat. Global warming is a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate. It is a foremost factor of climate change.

    Yours sincerely was in London in January 1986 when the international symposium on global warming and its implications for human existence began. The prediction then was that with the prevailing climate trend at that time, Africa might assume the weather of Europe by the year 2050. That prediction was a matter of consensus among the most participating scientists in that symposium.

     

    International Summit on Global Warming

    Recently, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari travelled to South Africa to join his colleagues from other countries of the world in attending an international conference on global warming. While still there, some Nigerian arm-chair critics started to accuse him of gallivanting wastefully around the world saying he had no business in such a global conference. Their perception of global warming is as crude as their way of handling local politics. In no other participating country will citizens criticise their President for attending such a crucial summit because they know that besides the subject of the summit, there could be some other beneficial issues. Here in Nigeria, once the issue on the table does not entail money it cannot be worthy of discussion. We are our own problem.

     

    Islamic perspective

    From its inception, Islam has been very explicit on the issue of environment and meteorology. This further confirms the fact that this divine religion is not for a particular time or people. It is a religion of knowledge for all times and all races. The meteorological explanation rendered by Islam is not meant for this column today. It will be brought in full in the very near future In sha’ Allah. But at a recent international conference on global warming, an Islamic scholar gave some Qur’anic insight into the causes and effects of global warming thus:

    “One of the issues that give the world a concern currently is global warming. Experts around the world have been warning about this for decades and have been urging governments to act faster in slowing down the rate of global warming.

    They warn that there is a 75% risk that global temperatures will rise a further two to three degrees in the next 50 years.

    The consequence of this would be dramatic. In fact a rise of just one degree would melt the Greenland ice sheet and drown the Maldives, but a three degree increase would kill the Amazon rainforest, wipe out nearly half of all species facing extinction and wreak havoc with crop yields due to weather changes.

     

    Pace of change

    Whilst the global climate goes through hot and cold cycles, what is worrying about the current phase is the pace of change that could send humanity first into a final spin. Although man has certainly benefited from technological advancements that have given us plastics, air travel and cheap food – what is important is to maintain a balance so that excessive consumerism does not ride roughshod over nature’s harmony.

    In Islam, man is given the role of trusteeship over the earth, which is a huge responsibility. In the past, man had to be careful how he treated his local environment since excessive grazing or agriculture could bring ruin to his livelihood. His knowledge was also limited but in the event of a disaster either through ignorance or abuse at least he could resort to moving elsewhere and start again. Now we should have no excuse for ignorance and we should have learnt from our past to avoid misuse. But what is worrying is that the impacts of our behaviour are not just local anymore, they are global. If we fail to act in a responsible manner, then we cannot simply relocate because there will be nowhere to go. It is, therefore, vital that as producers, manufacturers and consumers, we ensure that we give due consideration to the impact of our actions. Such a responsibility is not just that of the east or the west but a responsibility for all of us.

     

    Moderation for harmony

    Islam teaches us that God has continued and will continue to provide us with ample resources for all times. But through man’s misuse, this balance may change. It is this personal greed of man that makes them squander these resources and deprive others who may need those resources. The Holy Qur’an warns mankind in Chapter 7, verse 32 thus: “O children of Adam! Eat and drink but exceed not the bounds; surely He (Allah) does not love those who exceed the bounds”

    The overall message of Islam is that it promotes harmony by advising moderation. It accepts that we need to use resources for our progress but this should be done wisely and in a sustainable manner, so that a satisfactory medium is found. The Holy Qur’an relates in Chapter 25, verse 68: “those who, when they spend are neither extravagant nor niggardly but moderate between the two.

    So, as individuals, we should act on the Qur’anic injunction that promotes balance and prohibits excess even as nations need to be more willing to share knowledge for the sake of the planet rather than for profit and take collective action in line with their collective responsibility. By doing so we shall be able to win the pleasure of God and honour our trusteeship of the earth for the benefit of the present and the future generations”.

     

    Stakes of danger in global warming

    A few years ago, a top scientist conference in Britain raised the stakes for the dangers of global warming, with concerned scientists outlining a timeframe for the massive horrors awaiting the globe unless swift actions were taken at the right time. The findings in that conference were not in any way different from the position of Islam on the subject 1430 years ago.

    The three-day conference held in the South Western British city of Exeter focused on scientists’ latest assessment of the global warming problem, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

    The conference was bluntly told that global warming would boost outbreaks of infectious disease, worsen shortages of water and food in vulnerable countries and create an army of climate refugees fleeing uninhabitable regions.

    Scientists even gave a detailed timetable of the destruction and distress that global warming was likely to cause to the world, according to the British daily ‘The Independent’.

     

    Scale of impacts

    The scale of these impacts varies according to the speed and degree with which fossil fuel pollution is tackled as well the growth rate of the world’s population and how well countries can adapt to climate shift.

    Whole species of animals from frogs to leopards, living in vulnerable areas and with nowhere else to go, face extinction due to global warming, they said, according to the daily.

    “The study pulls together for the first time the projected impacts on ecosystems and wildlife, food production, water resources and economies across the earth, for given rises in global temperature expected during the next hundred years.

    “The resultant picture gives the most wide-ranging impression yet of the bewildering array of destructive effects that climate change is expected to exert on different regions, from the mountains of Europe and the rainforests of the Amazon to the coral reefs of the tropics.”

     

    Environmental refugees

    Produced through a synthesis of a wide range of recent academic studies, it was presented as a paper to the international conference on climate change held at the UK Met Office headquarters in Exeter by the author Bill Hare, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany’s leading global warming research institute.

    According to a study quoted by Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the UN’s top scientific authority on climate change, by 2050 as many as 150 million “environmental refugees” may have fled coastlines vulnerable to rising sea levels, storms or floods, or agricultural land that may become too arid to cultivate, AFP said.

    In India alone, there could be 30 million people displaced by persistent flooding, while a sixth of Bangladesh could be permanently lost to sea level rise and land subsidence, according to the study.

    The Independent  revealed that the conference was called personally by the then British Prime Minister, Tony Blair as part of Britain’s attempts to move the climate change issue up the agenda during the UK presidency of the G8 group of rich nations, and the European Union.

     

    Manifest effects

    There were already disturbing warnings from the latest climate research, including the revelation from the British Antarctic Survey that the massive West Antarctic ice sheet might be disintegrating – an event which would raise sea levels around the world by 16ft (4.9 metres) daily if it really happened.

    “Hare’s timetable shows the impacts of climate change multiplying rapidly as average global temperature goes up, towards 1 C above levels before the industrial revolution, then to 2 C, and then 3 C.

    “It is when the temperature moves up to 2 C above the pre-industrial level, expected in the middle of this century – within the lifetime of many people alive today – that serious effects start to come thick and fast, studies suggest.”

     

    Collapse of Amazon Rainforest

    When the temperature, the paper added, moves up to the 3C level, expected in the early part of the second half of the century, these effects will become critical. There is likely to be irreversible damage to the Amazon rainforest, leading to its collapse, and the complete destruction of coral reefs is likely to be widespread.

    The conference, however, ended up on a positive note, with the forum showing how far the argument for carbon sequestration has come, with a series of experts insisting it could be transformed from fiction to fact. Whole species of animals from frogs to leopards, living in vulnerable areas and with nowhere else to go, face extinction due to global warming, they said, according to the daily.

     

    Conclusion

    “The study pulled together for the first time the projected impacts on ecosystems and wildlife, food production, water resources and economies across the earth, for possible rises in global temperature expected during the next hundred years.

    “The resultant picture gave the most wide-ranging impression yet of the bewildering array of destructive effects that climate change was expected to exert on different regions, from the mountains of Europe and the rainforests of the Amazon to the coral reefs of the tropics.” Should   Nigeria be indifferent to all these? That is a major question that requires a major answer.

  • ‘Islam is not against organ transplant’

    Association of Muslim Health Students of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto (UDUS) has organised a public lecture with the theme: Organ transplant: Medical, legal and Islamic perspective. The event was held at the auditorium and it was chaired by Dr Anas Ahmad Sabir, chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH).

    The lecturer was attended by lecturers including, Mallam Ibrahim Gambo of the Faculty of Law, Dr Ahmed Maigari, Mallam Dahiru Shuni and Mallam A.S. Mainiyo all from Islamic Studies Department. There were also students at the event.

    Dr Adullahi Abdulwahab Ahmed of the Department of Surgery in UDUTH gave a medical perspective on the theme, saying the society has a role to encourage organ transplant by making effort to increase public awareness and dispel misconception. He said voluntary donation of organs by healthy people would help in saving the lives of people with defective organs.

    Dr Kabir Muhammed of the Faculty of Law spoke on the legal perspective, tracing the history of organ transplantation from prehistoric times in India and Egypt. He said organ transplantation, when done without seeking due consent of the donor, could amount to unlawful infringement of the donor’s right to dignity.

    Supported his claim with Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution, Muhammed said Section 48 of the National Health Act of 2014 made provision for consent of the donor as a pre-requisite to organ donation. “The donor must fully understand the consequences of his consent to donate,” he said.

    Speaking from Islamic perspective, Dr Abdullahi Raji of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, said human beings were enjoined to use their wisdom to solve problems. He quoted a tradition of Prophet Mohammad, who said Allah did not make a disease without a remedy for it, except old age.

    Raji said there was no direct provision in Shariah Law that permits transplantation, but said it could be inferred from logical reasoning since organ transplant has objective to save life. He mentioned Islamic maxims that support organ transplant, saying the deeds should be judged by their goals and purpose.

    To back his claims, Raji cited Chapter 5 Vs 32 of the Qur’an, which says: “If anyone saves a life, it will be as if he has saved the lives of all the people.”

    Dr Aminu Bala of the Islamic Studies Department said it was haram (illegal) to sell organs or transfer organs on which life depends. He mentioned organs, such as heart and those that are not replaceable.

    The Amir (president) of Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), UDUS chapter, Mallam Rabiu Barau, urged participants to spread the message of the lecture and advised them maintain spiritual cleanliness.

  • Another Bangladesh blogger killed

    Another Bangladesh blogger killed

    Just approximately 9days after the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) celebrated World Press Freedom Day in Riga, the capital city of Latvia, an attack has been made against the profession.

    There is no denial that an attack on a professional is an attack on the profession he or she practices. Sadly, a secular blogger was on Tuesday hacked to death in north-eastern Bangladesh.

    According to local police, the death of Ananta Bijoy Das marks the third of such deadly attacks since the start of the year, saying that Das was attacked by a masked gang wielding machetes in the city of Sylhet.

    Mr Das wrote blogs for Mukto-Mona, a website once moderated by Avijit Roy, who was also hacked to death in February for criticism on religious intolerance.

    The publisher lost his life in a machete attack while he was visiting the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, as he returned from a book fair in the city with his wife (now a widow) who also suffered head injuries and lost a finger in the attack.

    Lawyer and human rights activist, Sara Hossain, revealed to BBC that Mr. Das and Mr. Roy were on a list of targets for a while before they were attacked.

    She noted: “They’ve always believed and written very vocally in support of free expression and they’ve very explicitly written about not following any religion themselves,” she told the BBC World Service’s Newsday programme.

    “These last two have been part of a blog called Mukto-Mona (Free Mind), which is about free thinking and is about explicitly taking on religious fundamentalism and particularly Islamic religious fundamentalism. Their names have been on lists of identified targets.”

    Last month’s attack on Mr Roy prompted massive protests from students and social activists, who accused the authorities of failing to protect critics of religious bigotry.

    Sometimes in March, another blogger, Washiqur Rahman, was hacked to death in Dhaka for which an Islamist and two madrassa students were arrested over his murder.

  • Another blogger hacked to death in Bangladesh

    Another blogger hacked to death in Bangladesh

    There is no denial that an attack on a professional is an attack on the profession he or she practices. Sadly, a secular blogger was on Tuesday hacked to death in north-eastern Bangladesh.

    Just approximately 9days after the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) celebrated World Press Freedom Day in Riga, the capital city of Latvia, an attack has been made against the profession.

    According to local police, the death of Ananta Bijoy Das marks the third of such deadly attacks since the start of the year, saying that Das was attacked by a masked gang wielding machetes in the city of Sylhet.

    Mr Das wrote blogs for Mukto-Mona, a website once moderated by Avijit Roy, who was also hacked to death in February for criticism on religious intolerance.

    The publisher lost his life in a machete attack while he was visiting the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, as he returned from a book fair in the city with his wife (now a widow) who also suffered head injuries and lost a finger in the attack.

    Lawyer and human rights activist, Sara Hossain, revealed to BBC that Mr. Das and Mr. Roy were on a list of targets for a while before they were attacked.

    She noted: “They’ve always believed and written very vocally in support of free expression and they’ve very explicitly written about not following any religion themselves,” she told the BBC World Service’s Newsday programme.

    “These last two have been part of a blog called Mukto-Mona (Free Mind), which is about free thinking and is about explicitly taking on religious fundamentalism and particularly Islamic religious fundamentalism. Their names have been on lists of identified targets.”

    Last month’s attack on Mr Roy prompted massive protests from students and social activists, who accused the authorities of failing to protect critics of religious bigotry.

    Sometimes in March, another blogger, Washiqur Rahman, was hacked to death in Dhaka for which an Islamist and two madrassa students were arrested over his murder.

  • Nigeria hosts World religion peace summit

    Nigeria hosts World religion peace summit

    There is no denial that the world today is going through varying degrees of tension across borders, violence, injustices, human rights violations and discrimination, and the major cause of this violence has always been traced to religion. Thus, the need for world religions to come together to save the world cannot be overemphasised.
    In the effort to put things right from religious angle, the 2nd World Alliance of Religions’ Peace Summit (WARP) held on Tuesday in Nigeria.
    The summit tagged ‘Dialogue of Scriptures’, held at the multipurpose hall of Beleke Memorial Mosque, Surulere – Lagos, attempted to find meaning to who God is, if God really created everything in the universe, and why He gave the Scriptures.
    Answers to these questions were drawn from the Scriptures of the two major religious group represented as the Traditional worshipper could not make the summit to describe God from his Scripture.
    Speaking on the theme: ‘About the God and His Holy Scripture’, Imam Abdullahi Shuaib, Chief Executive Officer of Zakat and Sadaqat Foundation, started by describing God in different languages from Arabic – Allah to Yoruba – Olorun, Hausa – Ubangiji, Igbo – Chineke and many others as he could remember.
    The Cleric defined God from the point view of the Islamic scripture – Quran saying: “There is no other God but He. He lives forever and neither sleep nor slumber. He controls all things in heaven and on earth.
    “Whatever must come to be must receive His permission. His throne extends throughout heavens and on earth. Allah is the creator of the whole universe and cause to grow, all leaves and plants.”
    Imam Shuaib also said that Allah gave the scripture as divine guidance for mankind and as a criterion for establishing rights from wrongs, light from darkness, truth from falsehood, justice from injustice and peace from violence.
    Archbishop Anthony Macfonse of Osmond Orthodox Church in his speech started by establishing the fact that man cannot completely understand what God is like because He is beyond our limited understanding. His words: “Definitely we know Him and we have found clues as to what God is like and what He wants from us.” He therefore went on to describe God according to the Christian Scripture: “I am your God, apart from me there is no other. I am God the father of all creation. Before the mountains were made, before the universe was created, I am always your everlasting God and do not live in any particular place.”
    Sharing a similar view with the Archbishop, Sheikh Sulaiman Adangba described God firstly as the unseen being at every action and cannot be compared to any creature. According to Sheikh Adangba, National Head of Mission, Al-Fatihul Quareeb Islamic Society of Nigeria: “He (God) created the heavens and the earth and He is the sustainer of the living and none living creatures. He is all knowing; all powerful.”
    He further noted that God is the greatest considering the way He created everything by merely calling them into existence. “He created everything by simply saying let there be,” he said.
    According to him, for world religion to achieve the desired degree of peace, there may be need for a Religion National Conference the same way those in government are calling for a Sovereign National Conference.
    Sheikh Adangba admonished that religion faithful should be conversant with the teaching of the religion’s Scripture given to by God through His prophets.
    “It is those who are one that would be saved. Let us be versatile with our Scriptures since it has all guidance for our existence on earth,” the Sheikh maintained.
    The fourth speaker, Venerable Nwashili Kaine Desmond of the Anglican Church did not differ from Sheikh’s stands when he maintained that all Scriptures were breathed out by God and permitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.
    The Clergy further said that God gave the Scripture to reveal Himself to man as against the beliefs of Science and that the Scripture was given to reveal the lasting picture of Christ. “God gave us the Bible to reflect Himself to mankind as in the case of a mirror and to also reflect man to man.
    The Scripture helps us to see other people’s sins as well as our sins. He (God) gave the Bible to reveal His plan of salvation.”
    On his part, chairman of the event, Bishop Johnson Akin Atere, urged every participant to develop personal relationship with God saying: “If you find yourself amidst a crowd in the stadium, praying and calling to God all night long, what matters most is your relationship with God.
    Speaking about religious wars, the man of God said: “If you meet a war survivor and he or she recounts happenings to you, you will never desire war. Let us love one another and learn to manage our differences so that we can get closer to where we are going rather than where we are coming from.”
    WARP, an initiative of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) headquartered in Seoul, is devoted with sincere hopes that everyone shares the world with peace and good health.
    HWPL is an international organization whose mandate is to see the cessation of wars. It pursues this goal through a number of avenues, namely the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), and the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG).
    Delivering the closing remark, Shakiru Yekini, Secretary to Conference of Islamic Organisations – the host organisation for the event – gave the assurance that the summit will, in its subsequent editions, engage more youths by taking the event to Hall of tertiary institutions. “The youths are the future leaders and we cannot but get closer to them to teach them what is right to do,” he summed.

  • Islam in the age of anarchists

    f an Alfa (a Muslim cleric) does not live two houses away from mine, I  would be saying the worst things about Islam now. And you would not blame me, going by the carnage and wanton destruction being inflicted on humanity by people who hide under the cover of Islam.

    But the Alfa down my street is the most benign specie of man I know. At a community end of year get-together last December, he prayed so much for us all and country until the congregation got weary.

    Following upon a directive from the Lagos State Government, some residents had complained about Alfa’s early morning call of the faithful, insisting that it infringed on their right to beautiful early morning snooze. Alfa had stopped forthwith to make early morning calls with his megaphone. His little mosque has not closed down either. Yet he remains his wonderful self – amiable, genial and self-effacing.

    And now that the matter has been called to mind, it suddenly occurred to me that many of the people I interact with daily are unbeknown to me, Muslims. Indeed they are not mere Muslims, they are ardent and keen believers; some even sponsor mosques of their own.

    The Community Development Association (CDA) in Alimoso LGA, Lagos that I belong to and in which I am treasurer, has Muslims as chairman, secretary and publicity secretary. The chairman has a mosque in his compound. His faith has never been an issue except when he would take offence if we failed to celebrate Sallah with him and share in his rams.

    Thinking about it now, my closest friend and confidante in the neighbourhood is a Muslim. I would entrust my house to him each time the entire family travelled. He also built a mosque in his compound which he sponsors solely. His wife is a Deeper Lifer.

    Redoubtable Alhaji Salihu Ehimeakhe, a former boss of mine, a statesman in his own right (especially in business circles), is in my estimation a near perfect specimen of humanity. When he employed me as manager of corporate affairs in a bank he headed many years ago, it never mattered that he was a Muslim. Even though he would observe his prayers every afternoon, we never seemed to have noticed. Till today, he remains a mentor and source of inspiration.

    All these people have families. They have children I know they love and cherish dearly and they spend enormous resources training them in schools, home and abroad. None of that balderdash about education (Western or Eastern) being an abomination. These people do not only love life, they cherish humanity by their very relationship with their neighbours. The last thing on the mind of these people I know so well would be to kill and destroy.

    If you suppose my environment of example may be wrong, about three decades ago, I had my National Youth Service in the old Sokoto State, Northwest of Nigeria. It is the seat of the Caliphate and home of the Sultan, the supreme head of Nigeria’s Muslims. It remains one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Sokoto of the 80s was remarkably quiet, indeed serene in a sublime way. There were just one or two mosques in the ancient city and Muslim faithful would pray under the shade of trees most days safe for Fridays when all roads led to the central mosques.

    The people epitomised peaceful living – with themselves and strangers in their midst. Churches flourished in designated areas and there was ample social intermingling.

    Down East, across the Niger, there exist large settlements of Northerners who are predominantly Muslims. In fact, Northern Muslims must be the largest settler population group in Igbo land.. Right from the large trading colony after the Onitsha head bridge to Aba, Umuahia, Ama Hausa in Owerri and Garki in Enugu and every major town of the Southeast.

    Last December, we bought items from two itinerant hawkers right in front of the village hall in our remote part of Isiala-Mbano. We made jokes with them and many were astounded that ndi-ugwu (people of the hills, as northerners are generically referred to by Igbo) could find their way around our forest homesteads. Not a few were apprehensive, but after a brief hearty interaction, we discovered that these were ordinary folks plodding the countryside questing for livelihood. This piece was actually triggered by a photograph on the back page of The Punch of last Tuesday. It depicts a security guard at the gate of an elementary school in Dougirei, Jimeta, in Adamawa State, searching kindergarten pupils (probably between the ages of two and five) with a bomb detector before they are allowed into their school compound.

    The picture strikes home as surreal and violent; it is an image of innocence being violated, as those kids are prodded with that cold, strange device.

     Suicide bombing was the macabre dance of men; then women joined in by desecrating their hijab with IEDs. Today, our innocent little girls are turned to zombies and angels of death by satanists who are erroneously called Islamists.

    I was about to pen harsh words about Muslims and Islam turning innocent little girls into weapons of mass murder when it occurred to me that I would be in serious error as all around me are Muslims who are dignified and impeccable beings.

    Then you wonder: who are these blood-thirsty anarchists engaged in senseless killing spree in Nigeria, Cameroun, Mali, Kenya, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, France and even China? Why is the world suddenly infested with people the media has termed “Islamists” who are intent on destroying humanity and world’s civilisations?

    It is blood for the sake of it; carnage for no reason. Hardly does a day pass without targeted explosions or shooting spree in one part of the world or the other. In market places, worship places, bus and train stations, military checkpoints, just anywhere two or three are gathered, man is under attack – and for no reason whatsoever.

    Evil people are bent on destroying humanity. We shudder at what might happen should they acquire more lethal weapons like gases, biological and nuclear capabilities! This is why the world must rise as one to fight this insipient madness.

    As respected Nigeria’s former head of state, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, cried out recently in a “Letter to Nigerians”: “… we must be able to realise that what is happening has nothing to do with religion; and it should be obvious enough by now that satanic forces are at work to set us against each other.” He described them as “forces of darkness.”

    We want to hear more of such unequivocal condemnation of these hordes from hell. True Muslims, clerics, intellectuals and leaders… everyone must speak up in sustained, strident voices. They must teach their ignorant members that killing in any guise, even suicide, will only earn you a place in HELL. Let us drum it in that virgins are never gifted… here or beyond.

    PDP: This sinking feeling…

    Is night falling on Africa’s biggest party; the one that was recently declared would rule for 60 years? Why is it that one cannot help seeing an image of the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential standard-bearer as some kind of specie undergoing rapid atrophy? The bumbling behemoth seems to have all but crumbled under its sordid weight.
    Most of the big guns of PDP unbeknown to them, are already walking with their shoulders slouched as if they are already defeated. Please take a critical look at them.
    The centre no longer seems to hold for the party. All former leaders and founders have deserted it and are shunning its campaign train. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo now openly supports the opposition APC candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari. Founding father, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, long sidelined, has issued a warning. Retired military President Ibrahim Babangida would not be categorical that he would vote PDP. Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, who is supposed to lead PDP’s campaign in the Northwest, is nowhere to be found as the campaign train chugs on creakily.
    Woe alas, the big, bad monster totters! How will it fall…!?

  • Mubi as ‘Madinatul Islam’?

    • Boko Haram’s routine take-over of Nigerian territorial space is a national shame that should not be tolerated much longer

    Not so suddenly, under President Goodluck Jonathan, busy pressing his rights to contest the 2015 presidential elections, Nigeria is fast becoming a Hobbesian state of nature, where Boko Haram anarchists strike at will and annex Nigeria’s territorial space, where they fly their Islamist flags.

    The latest of such outrage, and intense national shame, is the capture of Mubi, the second largest town in Adamawa State and the state’s commercial nerve, which they have reportedly renamed “Madinatul Islam” (City of Islam). If not so tragic, it would have been so laughable! Yet, with all this unprecedented tragedy, the Jonathan administration is as distracted as usual.

    For Doyin Okupe, the presidential senior special assistant on media, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, an Adamawa native, is the problem, not Boko Haram. Instead of Dr. Okupe telling Nigerians what the Jonathan government is doing to win back lost territories and save a nation’s honour, it is Alhaji Abubakar he would rather pounce on.

    His offence? The former vice president’s announcement, at a press conference, that Boko Haram had taken over 16 local councils in the North East, and that the Jonathan Presidency should do its duty of protecting Nigerians and securing Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

    Okupe, with the petulance so common with the Jonathan administration when found wanting and told to do its duty, accused Abubakar of doing public relations stunt for the insurgents, implying that the former vice president was exaggerating the security meltdown for political gains.

    But the irony is clearly lost on him: that a government negates its essence, as President Jonathan clearly does, when though it is the Leviathan that should force order, it continues to run and be terribly bruised by insurgents, with thousands of Nigerians slaughtered and Nigerian troops running for cover. Even on President Jonathan himself, the irony appears totally lost. How can a president be so resolute in re-contesting power while, on the job, he is so irresolute on the basic chores as security and safety of citizens from the hands of crazed anarchists?

    The taking  of Mubi is the latest disgrace, which ironically appears to portend greater tragedies ahead. Already, Yobe State Governor Kashim Shettima has already warned the local military authorities that Boko Haram was planning a raid on Maiduguri for tomorrow (Friday, November 5). Local governments under Boko Haram’s flag are Ngala, Kala/Balge, Marte, Askira/Uba, Bama, Gwoza, Mafa, Abadam, Dikwa, aside from parts of Konduga — all in Borno State. Kikiwa is under siege, according to news reports. In Mubi, it was so disgraceful that even soldiers were reportedly struggling with civilians for space in fleeing vehicles.

    Under the nose of President Jonathan and his military commanders, the Nigerian state appears to be collapsing fast — and all they mouth are empty excuses on why they cannot perform, not robust initiatives to roll back the shameful collapse. And to think that the government appeared finally to have regained the momentum until the controversial ceasefire that squelched the government’s advance and citizens’ relief, and handed the poor citizens over there as serfs of Boko Haram anarchists. The irony of ironies: Boko Haram pledges maximum protection to its captives, a chore that appears  beyond the ken of the sitting government. It is a monumental national shame.

    For President Jonathan and his military commanders, this is not the best of seasons. It is absolutely unacceptable that Boko Haram would just sack Nigerian territory anyhow, kill and maim innocent Nigerians at will and turn thousands of others into internally displaced persons in their own fatherland.

    What Jonathan and his aides must do is to impress and convince Nigerians that they are up to the task of protecting Nigerians and preserving our country’s integrity, not betraying nervous anger when their glaring failure is pointed out. The president must regain his honour now by rolling back the Boko Haram challenge or else everyone is doomed.

     

  • ‘Boko Haram doesn’t represent Islam’

    ‘Boko Haram doesn’t represent Islam’

    The President of the Ansaru-Deen Society of Nigeria, Alhaji Lateef Femi Okunnu, has described the  Boko Haram insurgency as evil. He said it does not represent Islam.

    Okunnu spoke at a news conference organised by the Muslims in Lagos State under the aegis of the Muslim Community of Lagos State, at the Lagos Central Mosque.

    He said the claims of the group for fomenting trouble in the North had no basis in Islam.

    “Boko Haram claims it has justification for being violent and embarking on terrorism. Despite their claim of being jihadists, it is clear that they are not propagating  Islam. We wish to affirm that terrorism is alien to Islam. The religion represents peaceful co-existence and tolerance of other faith. Embarking on violence in the name of Islam is a sinful act. They are violating the fundamental principle of Islam, which is a religion of peace,” Okunnu said.