கிறிஸ்துவர்களும் முஸ்லீம்களும் மோதியதில் 2000க்கும் மேல் பலி

நைஜீரியாவில் பாதிபேர் கிறிஸ்துவ மதத்திலும் மீத பாதி பேர் இஸ்லாமிற்கு மதம் மாறியுள்ளனர். அந்த நாட்டின் பழங்கால மதத்தை அழித்து தங்கள் மதத்துக்கு மதம் மாற்றும் வரையிலும் ஒற்றுமையாக இருந்த முஸ்லீம்களும் கிறிஸ்துவர்களும் தற்போது ஒருவர் குரல்வளையை மற்றவர்கள் நெரிப்பதில் தீவிரமாக இறங்கியிருக்கின்றனர்.

கடுனா என்ற ஒரு மாவட்டத்தில் மட்டுமே 2000க்கும் அதிகமான முஸ்லீம்களும் கிறிஸ்துவர்களும் கொல்லப்பட்டுள்ளனர். ஆயிரக்கணக்கான பெண்கள், குழந்தைகள், கர்ப்பிணிகள் ஆகியோர் இரண்டு பக்கத்தாலும் வரைமுறையின்றி கொன்று தீர்க்கப்பட்டுள்ளனர்.

நைஜீரியா ஒன்றாக இருப்பதே ஆபத்தான விஷயம் என்று பலர் இப்பொது அங்கு பேச ஆரம்பித்துள்ளனர்

Nigeria: Religious Crisis - Effort to Find Lasting Solution
This Day (Lagos)

OPINION
17 January 2008
Posted to the web 18 January 2008
Lagos

The saying that whatever has a beginning must have an end seems not to be applicable in Nigerian context.

Religious crisis, which has been decimating the country's productive population and destruction of properties whenever it occurs, is becoming unbearable to most Nigerians and government. Agha Ibiam writes


"Are you people sure this is Kaduna. Can this be Nigeria. Are we still in Nigeria at all?" former President Olusegun Obasanjo asked repeatedly after a religious crisis that rocked Kaduna and claimed the life of nearly 2,000 Muslims and Christians.

When eventually he was convinced that it was indeed Kaduna, Obasanjo, who spent most of his adult life in that northern city, simply broke down and wept. That was one of the religious crisis that shook the early period of his administration.

Religious crisis in Nigeria is not new, especially at this democratic dispensation. Observers have described the 2000 Kaduna riots as the single worst outbreak of violence in Nigeria since after the 1967-70 civil war. The recent of the crisis is the Bauchi disturbance which occurred towards the end of last year. Lives were lost and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed.

The remote cause of the problem which was said to be a Mosque built in a secondary school would have been nipped on the board if both religious groups had understanding of what their faith is. To avoid future occurrence and to bridge the chasm that must have existed between the two religions as a result of the mayhem, the Bauchi State Government inaugurated a Reconstruction and Resettlement Interim Committee that is co-chaired by inter-religious council leaders, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Mohammed Sa'adu Abubakar III and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop John Onayinkan.

Both leaders responded to the clarion call apparently on the request of the Bauchi State Government, at least as spiritual leaders to both religions bodies. Perhaps due to circumstances beyond the control of Bishop Onayinka, he was represented by the President, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and founder and leader of the Word of Life Bible Church, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.

Oritsejafor is not new to such missions. In fact, he could be regarded as a messenger of peace both in Northern and Southern Nigeria. Some time ago, after the Moslems and Christians clashed in Maiduguri, Borno State, followed with a reprisal attack in Onitsha, Anambra State over the cartoon crisis, the PFN leader also paid a visit to both groups in Maiduguri and in Asaba, Delta State where the Moslem communities from Onitsha fled to.

His message to both parties then was on unity, peace and understanding. He appealed to them to stop taken laws into their hands by killing one another in the name of religion, but to understand that the true God is God of love and peace.

The visit of the religious leaders to Bauchi recently was another peace talk. It could be regarded as the first of its kind because of the caliber of dignitaries that attended the parley. The Christians Association from the Northern zones was led by the CAN secretary, Samuel Salifu, an engineer.

The Christian body was on hand to receive Papa Ayo and his entourage at about 12.55pm when the charted flight descended at the Bauchi airport. The defense minister, who represented President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, also used the airport with a Nigerian Airfore plane for the same event.

The peace discussion was held at the Yelwa Kagadama, Bauchi. That was the site of the incident where most houses and properties were burnt. Later the august visitors shifted base to meet with the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu in his palace at about 3.55pm and finally concluded the discussion at the Government House.

At the end of the visit, there was no official report that emanated from the Government House. But during the rally at Yelwa community where the discussions took place, Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State told the gathering that the people have to appreciate the fact that Yelwa has been a peaceful place when religious crisis bedeviled some part of the Northern states.

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The residents of the community, Yuguda said have been living in more peaceful environment. They live as brothers and sisters, but by accident or act of God some are Christians while some are Moslems. So they are one. They can also appreciate the fact that nothing in the form of religion has created any form of misunderstanding among them, the governor said.

In what appeared as the crux of the matter was the destruction of a mosque built in a secondary school premises. Yuguda said, "There have been churches and mosques that are as older than this town. If there was anything that can cause religious crisis, I don't think it is what we were told. What triggered the problem was a mosque that was built in a secondary school. The mosque was damaged twice, and that was why the crisis started," the governor said.

This, Yuguda said underscores the fact that not only the people of Yelwa community are living in peace, but the incident must have happened as a result of the work of the evil people who have infiltrated the environment.