Unjustified Sokoto mob action

TO say certain truths may translate to welcoming discomfort in certain forms and we cannot shy away from speaking the truth for fear that our friends and admirers would not agree with us. It is no news that on Thursday, one Ms Deborah Samuel a 200 level Home Economics student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto was reportedly stoned and subsequently lynched to death over her comments against our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in a WhatsApp group which didn’t go down well with some of her classmates. This has since generated some ‘tensed’ comments across the board. It is no doubt a worrying development that in this age, there are still unconscionable lots out there feeding off the illusion of ignorance of the stone age using religion as an umbrella to perpetrate their ill informed acts. And it appears that our brothers and sisters from other divide are getting the issue interpolated due to misgivings and innuendos, as mostly conveyed in their repulsive and emotion-laden reactions to Islam.

I make bold to clearly state here again and reiterated the fact that the mob action is unjustified and condemned. Ms Deborah was unjustly killed under the pretence of safeguarding the tenets of Islam. These louts and irate youths went too far and ballistic to carry out their despicable act in the name of Islam, even though the true teachings of Islam frowned at it completely. It is well established in Islam that legal punishment such as execution can only be carried out by recognised authorities, not by any individuals parading themselves as spiritual police. How on earth does that translate and reflect the ipse dixit of Islamic teachings they are ignorantly claiming to be defending? Some of our brothers and sisters from the other divide went berserk and freely revealed the beast in them. They left the substance to chase shadows in a manner of that popular maxim (among the Yoruba) about ignoring leprosy and lavishing attention on curing eczema, while obviously pretending that they are not prepared to attack Islam.

I implore them to purge themselves of hatred of Islam because of the malfeasances of a few Muslims distorting the message of Islam to suit their whimsical attitudes and actions. I wonder if they haven’t read about the history of Islam. Because I believe that if they did, they would have come across how the earlier Muslims and the noble Prophet (peace be upon him) lived in harmony with Non-Muslims during their time and how he came about the cognomen Al-Ameen; the trustworthy.  Well, if that is too difficult and requires a little research, what about the that occurred sometime in 2010 at the premier University, University of Ibadan. It is on record that one Ms. Seun Bunmi Adegunsoye, Christian evangelical and a student of the Law faculty, clad in a Muslim dress almost provoked tension and nearly disrupted the ongoing Jumat service led by the Institution’s Chief Imam, AbdulRahman Oleyede, as she continued screaming “Except you accept Christ in your life, you are not safe. All of you here, no matter the number of the congregation, accept Jesus Christ. Allāh is not God”. But She was protected by the Muslim community and went home free and unharmed. Beautiful, you say. That is what Islam truly commanded, not mob action.

What about a northern, Fulani Muslim, Imam Abubakr Abdullahi? A life-saving angel, he did not save just one life; he hid 262 Christians in his mosque from the slaughtering hands of herdsmen in Plateau State on June 23, 2018.  According to the US Department of State website: “Imam Abubakar Abdullahi selflessly risked his own life to save members of another religious community, who would have likely been killed without his intervention. On June 23, 2018, ethnic Fulani herdsmen, who are predominantly Muslim, launched coordinated attacks on 10 villages in Barkin Ladi, killing hundreds of ethnic Berom farmers, who are predominantly Christian.” When he was interviewed by newsmen, he stated: “I think one of the things we want to emphasise is that every loss of a human life is a tragedy because every human life is sacred. And no matter who you are, we are all equal in God’s eyes. We are all children of God and I think it is important to emphasise that we need to work to save each life that we can.” This is exactly the message of Islam: preservation of all life.

Islam guarantees the life of every human being, whether they are Muslims or Non-Muslims. Every human life is sacred in Islam and no one has the right to take it unjustly.  I would like to conclude by pointing out that whether you are a Muslim or a Christian by faith, we are all products of a sane society built on a strong moral fibre. We should not throw caution to the wind when reacting to issues that directly affect our faith. We should learn to leave in peace.  As a Muslim, what is least expected of me is to condemn the dastardly acts in strong terms and charge those in positions of authority to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to book. No one is more Nigerian than others. Everyone should be free to manifest their religion to their satisfaction. And in doing this, a modicum of respect should be extended to all, irrespective of their religious beliefs.

• Mallam Raji-Alaufe, a graduate of the Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State, is a member of the Sunnah Movement of Nigeria, a faith-based Islamic Organisation in Saki, Oyo State.

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