THE Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have said that the Association will not trade words with the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) on the issuance of Sukuk bond by the Federal Government.
The NSCIA while replying CAN over its request to the government to cancel the operation of Sukuk issuance in Nigeria, accused the Christian body of Islamophobia.
NSCIA in a statement by its Deputy Secretary General, Salisu Shehu, said, “CAN cannot claim ignorance about the fact that even the World Bank has been involved in issuing SUKUK and the floating of SUKUK Bonds. Interestingly also, several non-Muslim countries across Africa, Europe and Asia have also instituted Islamic Financial System generally and SUKUK in particular. Worthy of mention here are Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Russia, China, Singapore and a number of firms in the United States.
“Less than two years ago, Britain hosted a World Conference on Islamic Banking and Finance and David Cameron, the then British prime minister, openly declared that their intention was to make UK the hub of Islamic Finance in the World.
“It would certainly be embarrassing for CAN to be told that the first and foremost state in Nigeria to submit application for loan to the Islamic Development Bank is a Christian-dominated state in the South-East.”
When Saturday Tribune spoke with Special Assistant (Media and Communications) to the CAN President, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, he said the Christian apex body will not trade words with NSCIA, instead, it is directing its words to the government to act on.
Pastor Oladeji further said that CAN was not expecting the NSCIA to say no to the issuance of Sukuk bond by the government because it pleases them.
His words: “We are not trading words with them, we are talking to the government, if you are doing something that pleases them, we are not expecting the SCIA to say no to what the government is doing, so we are not going to reply them.”
“We are not interested in their position, our position is that let government speak on it, is the government doing what is constitutional or not? what is their position.
NSCIA however said “despite this remarkable tolerance from Muslims over the years, CAN appears to be increasingly becoming Islamophobic and paranoid about its hate and intolerance of Islam, casting aspersions, unnecessarily overheating the polity and unjustifiably creating fear and distrust in the minds of peace-loving citizens of our great country
“We are poised to advise CAN to, in the spirit of Biblical injunctions, uphold the truth for its sake and tread the path of honour and refrain from statements capable of causing disaffection and promoting disharmony that may lead to conflict in the country.”
“Our Imams should tell our Muslim brothers and sisters that they should not in any way try to retaliate the unwarranted attacks and killings of Muslims in the South-East on innocent Igbo citizens within their localities or neighbourhoods with whom they are living peacefully and harmoniously”.
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