HOW that tentative inventory of the killings has revealed that over 800 human souls have been wasted, it is important to ask the question: What could be the cause of the killings? How can an area that is the host of the famous Nok Civilisation, suddenly become the amphitheatre of barbarism and incivility?
But since we have now come to the rather dubious and unempirical conclusion that religion is at the root of the matter, it is important to look at the issues very closely.
For students of religion and society whose eyes have been on Southern Kaduna in the last few years, since the unfortunate health challenges that took His Lordship Most Rev. Joseph Bagobiri out of the shores of this country, with the exception of Rev. Ibrahim Yakubu and the regular outspoken voice of the Chaplain of the Catholic Social Forum of Kafachan Diocese, Rev. Fr. Alexander Yayock, no other voice rang in condemnation of the killings. At least, publicly. And it is simple to know why: the clerics are either unaware of their prophetic social responsibility or they are out of touch with history books.
Are our holy books not replete with stories of confrontation between prophets and the rulers of their time much of which was on how society was to be governed for the realisation of the common good aimed at maximising opportunities to ensure the greatest good for the greatest number?
Even in contemporary times, there are many clerics who abandoned the comfort of their presbyteries to identify with, and also to speak in defence of the common good. In the 1970s, we heard of Bishop Juan Gardi of Guatemala who was an outspoken critic of military rule.
In the Philippines, the role Cardinal Sin played in ensuring local and international pressure in forcing Ferdinand Marcos to eventually flee the country needs no repeating.
The most obvious example of the role of the clergy in bringing about a just society is probably that of Desmond Tutu during apartheid in South Africa. In recognition of the role he played, Tutu was, in 1984, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and during the presidency of Nelson Mandela, made the Chairman of the famous South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Here at home, there are names such as Cardinal Okogie, Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Gumi, Bishop Kukah, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, Bishop Joseph Bagobiri, Sunday Mbang, etc, who are known for speaking truth to power irrespective of whose ox is gored. In the electioneering leading to the emergence of General Buhari as president, for instance, Gumi boldly came out to ask the General to drop his ambition arguing that being ‘God-fearing’ is not enough qualification to make one a good leader. The result was the intimidation of the Gumis again and again by those thought they could cry more than the bereaved.
But Sheikh Gumi is not alone. Apart from the Sultan who recently called on Governor Nasiru El’Rufa’i to punish criminals in the ongoing killings whatever name or religion they answer to, I was recently shocked to discover that contrary to what we think, there are Islamic scholars who are of the opinion that “The state must ensure that the equality of all citizens before the law, which is itself part of the common good of society, should never be impaired either openly or covertly for religious reasons, and that there should be no discrimination against any of them.”
It is this category of scholars who have continued to give fresh impetus for theological thought unlike others with doctorate degrees from Cairo, Tunis, Ankara, and sometimes from Europe; yet, they remain all the same wedded to the theological thoughts of 1804 and the Jahiliyya period. Their activities have continued to give the noble religion of Islam a bad image. With their education, they subscribe to bigotry. And when in power, they create tension by importing subjects such as Sharia, Islamisation, jihad etc not because they are good Muslims but largely in times of legitimacy crisis.
They transmit heresy among our large army of gullible people contrary to progressive contemporary Islamic scholars who are convinced that God really wills only freely-willed obedience. The Egyptian scholar Husayn Fauzi, for instance, believes that “Islam can no longer be spread by command and compulsion, but only through influencing public opinion, e.g., by way of education and by winning consent for the principles which one holds oneself to be truly Islamic and essentially for genuine Islamic living and thinking.”
What all this means is that: One, there are many from the other side of the divide who share our dreams and ideals. They believe in the common good of society and are ever disposed to make sacrifices in defence of democracy, the dignity of human life, freedom of religion, among other values. They are our friends not our enemies. We must be ready to collaborate with them to create a good society that reflects the ideals of the one true God we all worship.
Two, in moments like this, we must be ready to reject the heresies of some so-called religious leaders whose stock-in-trade is conspiracy. Rather than rising up to their social responsibilities like their predecessors, they settled for the blame game while pointing accusing fingers at those who do not belong to their camps as the culprits. This category of leaders is a nuisance to both society and the Kingdom of God.
Three, stakeholders are agreed that the handling of the killings by the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasiru El’Rufa’I, leaves much to be desired. The essence of democracy, unlike dictocracy, is participation. A situation where only the decisions of one mortal matters is unacceptable. He must develop the capacity to listen and to integrate the ideas of others.
Four, Muslims in Northern Nigeria must rise up to defend the noble image of their religion that some politicians and selfish figures are dragging to the field for their games. It is the antics of these selfish elements that have made Islam in the region to look different from Islam as say, practiced by the Yorubas. To say the least, Northern Islam has continued to see others not as brethren-in-creation but as infidels.
Finally, to paraphrase a Jesuit scholar, Christian W. Troll, The believers of every succeeding age therefore must ask themselves not only: What do the wordings of the Koranic or Biblical injunctions command or prohibit here. But also: How does God ultimately want our social conditions – and hence also the laws, which regulate them – to be ordered in accordance with the higher ethical norms, enunciated in the Koran or the Bible?
And since the victims of this insecurity are the Christians, the Muslims, those Fulanis who knew our fathers, etc, they must also act beyond insularity by striking a common course with all these to defend our land against the threats of criminals whatever name or religion they answer to.
- Damina, a student of Religion and Society wrote from Holy Family Catholic Parish Gidan Bako in Kaduna State and can be reached via francisdamina@gmail.com
