By Mohammed Adamu
The storm raised by the Christmas Day bombings, especially the attack on St. Theresa's Catholic Church, Madalla, near Abuja, appears to be far from settling as more Nigerians from the different religious divides across the country continue to voice anger over the incidents. Already, Christian leaders like Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor have reacted in the bitterest of manners, almost going wild and threatening to throw the country into a state of war if there's any violent attack on Christians by Boko Haram. Other Christian leaders such Reverend Saidu Dogo, a leader of CAN in the 19 northern states also threatened to avenge any further attacks on Christians.
The comments of Oritsejafor, Dogo and other similar ones by Christian leaders have however elicited reaction from the Jama'atu Nasril Islam, which strongly condemned the inciting comments of Pastor Oritsejafor and his ilk.
Though Muslim leaders in the North say they are ready to join forces with Christians in the country to fight the Boko Haram insurgency, the JNI through its Secretary General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu however warned the CAN President in particular to desist from "inciting the Christian population into a religious warfare against the Muslims."
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna at the weekend, the JNI scribe said the group had reviewed events leading to the Christmas day bombing of churches in parts of northern Nigeria and noted with regret the CAN President's utterances, which he said would not unhelpful for the security and well-being of the country.
According to him, "it is with a heavy heart and a sense of responsibility that I address you this morning in response to some of the unguarded utterances made by the leader of a religious organization who is supposed to be seen as an Ambassador of peace. "But unfortunately, he went right into the heart of Aso Rock Villa to threaten the government and to say whatever he had to say before the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
"He also accused the Muslim leadership, the religious scholars and other leaders within the Muslim community. He blamed the attack also on religious and traditional rulers whom he said are not publicly condemning this upsurge of bomb attacks.
"This unguarded utterance is intended to incite and instigate Christians against Muslims in this country.
"In essence, the man has already called for war. He said it that there is going to be a civil war in this country.
"It is very astonishing for such a person to say that Muslims have not condemned the act when more than two dozens of prominent Muslim scholars who have condemned what happened at Madalla.
"Apart from that, the governor of Niger state and other traditional leaders have been there. The Sultan himself has declared that the attack was un-Islamic and yet, he said that was unacceptable.
"We don't know whether he wants us to jump the gun and arrest faceless people whom the government has not been able to arrest and then kill them by shooting them. What he wants is for us to apply jungle justice on them.
“Do we have that legal authority to begin to chase people that we don't even know? Therefore, this statement is contempt on the Sultan of Sokoto who is the President General of JNI and NSCIA.
"It is also contempt on the Muslim clerics who have come to condemn these acts. We have the capacity to really face the storm.
"Where were they when Muslims were attacked during the Eid-Fitr celebration that followed the month of Ramadan in Plateau state where Muslims were attacked, killed and maimed?
"Are you telling me that there were no Muslims killed in the Madalla bomb blast? In Maiduguri and Damaturu was it not the Muslims that were killed in their numbers?
"I think that the CAN President is an intolerant person and his statements are pregnant with very dangerous trends that is capable of telling Christians to attack Muslims.
"I think that his statement is even more dangerous than these acts and I think that the government should call him to order.
"The government should call him to order for going to Aso Rock and calling the government incompetent before the President. How can you say such things and say you want to pray?
Oritsejafor has gone further to criticize Islam and call Islam all sorts of names and according to him, they are ready for war against Muslims.
"But Muslims are very tolerant people and we are calling on all Muslims to be calm and be law abiding and continue to be prayerful against this trend.
"We cannot be intimidated by these threats and intimidations. We are peaceful people, we respect the laws of the country and we cannot jump over the fence of government because they are charged with the full responsibility of providing security for the lives and property of the people", he said.
"Therefore, we will not go beyond that. We will not attack anybody. It is very disheartening when the western media says that Nigeria will disintegrate by 2015. There may be an underground conspiracy to achieve that by creating chaos in the country.
"The Sultan has said it loud and clear that Muslims are not at war with Christians, but Oritsejafor says that Christians are at war with Muslims," Dr. Aliyu further decried.
The CAN President, many have noted, has been flippant. From his comments on the move to introduce Islamic banking, to his reaction to the mass protests that hit some parts of northern Nigeria in the aftermath of the 2011 elections, Oritsejafor has been noted for making frivolous comments which, many say portray his as eccentric who shouldn't hold such a sensitive position as headship of a religious organization. But whether the reaction to his provocative statement by the JNI scribe will help in taming the CAN leader is something which only time will tell.
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