THE NORTHERN AGENDA/PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA We must tell ourselves the truth. We should call a spade a spade, the truth must be told irrespective of whether it is poignant or flattery. Pretending that we do not know the truth would not do us any good. The truth is that the religious conflict, upheavals and antagonism that we are witnessing is engineered by some people who want to impose the monopoly of their religion and ethnic interests in Nigeria. The following are strategies for actualizing their agenda: 1. The primary means for islamisation of Nigeria is through jihad. Jihadists’ claim that since the Othman Danfodia war they have been given a sword which they must battle with, in propagating Islam to the forest which to them extends even as far as Igbo land. This involves burning of Churches and killing of Christians to reduce the Christian population in Nigeria so that it would be less than the Muslim population and begin to claim that Muslims are the majority. This is also to reduce the voting population of Christians so that Christians would have slim chances of being voted and elected into political positions. When President Goodluck Jonathan won the 2011 elections not less than 500 churches were burnt and destroyed by Muslim jihadists in not more than 3 days. Jihad is also aimed at forcefully converting Christians to Islam. In 2009 when Boko Haram started their killings, they took Christians to their camps. At gun point they asked Christians to renounce Christianity and accept Islam if not they would face death. Those who rejected Islam where killed and those who accepted Islam were spared. 2. Ensuring that only Muslims are in top positions of government. At the Islam Africa Conference in Abuja (1989) the resolution issued at the conclusion of the conference declared their communiqué which is: “to show the whole world that Nigeria is truly an Islamic nation…to support the establishment and application of sharia….to ensure the appointment of only Muslims into strategic national and international posts of member nations. To eradicate in all forms and ramifications all non-Muslim (such religions shall include Christianity….) religions in member nations (which includes Nigeria). Ibrahim Babangida was to implement this communiqué in Nigeria. Just before the 2003 elections Muhammadu Buhari said Christians should vote Christians and Muslims should vote Muslims. Buhari made this statement because he felt that Nigeria has a higher Muslim voting population which would give him an edge over his top rival. At that time the two main presidential contenders were Buhari and Obasanjo. In some sharia states there are Christian indigenes who are civil servants. The government have refused to promote them because of their religious affiliation. 3. Denial and refusal of the teaching of Christian Religious knowledge in federal and state government owned primary and secondary schools. In states such as Yobe, Kano and Zamfara Christians are forced to take Islamic Religious Studies as a subject in secondary and primary schools and female students are forced to wear veils/hijab in order to appear like Muslims. Christians are also denied the right to worship in some public schools and institutions. 4. Burning, looting and destruction of properties and edifices owned by Christians. A land was bought and family house was built by Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship in Sokoto. When Sokoto State Government got to find out about it, the Sokoto State Government revoked the ownership of land and bulldozed the building using a bulldozer. 5. Denial of the right of Christians to broadcast Christian programs on state and federal government owned television and radio stations in some states. 6. Forcing Christian women to marry Muslim men so that they would give birth to children who would grow up to be Muslims. More so Muslim men are encouraged to impregnate Christian women so that they can be converted to Islam. 7. Marrying many wives and giving birth to many children, so that they would say Islam is the fastest growing religion and claim that Muslims are the majority in Nigeria. 8. Introduction of sharia law which would be binding on both Muslims and Christians. In 2003, (in Gusau, Northern Nigeria), Governor Ahmed Sani (Who came to United States and used the VOA to advertise the introduction of fundamentalist Islamic sharia Law in Nigeria promising that it will never be applied to Christians) gave an order that more than 20 of the Christian churches in the state be demolished. They were demolished promptly. No reasons were given. 9. Migrating to predominantly Christian areas in the name of trade and looking for grass for cattle. 10. Rewards such as money, cars, houses, admission letters, marriage partners and other forms of gifts are given to Christians who become Muslims. 11. Infiltration of Hausa and Fulani mercenaries into the military. The top prominent Northern religious and political leaders have made concerted efforts to use the military for the Islamization of Nigeria. This is by encouraging their agile and restive youths to become part of the military. During Danbazao’s tenure as the chief of army staff so many of his people were recruited into the army, this explains why 70% of soldiers are Hausa-Fulani Muslims. These Muslim soldiers fight for their religion and not for the integrity of the Nigerian Nation. That is why when soldiers are sent to places such as Plateau and Benue, they favour the Muslims. Soldiers who are sent for peace keeping in Benue and Plateau actually go there to help Muslim jihadists and not to bring about peace between Muslims and Christians. Take note: The aim write up is not to incite ethno-religious hatred and to tarnish the image of Hausa-Fulani but to voice out the atrocities and intolerance that ethnic minorities are facing from Hausa-Fulani in Northern Nigeria.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 10:01:36 +0000
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