by Elnathan John
I interrupt the ‘How To’ series to say one thing. I am angry. Very angry. So if you want to laugh or have started your day happy stop right here. If your wife has given birth to that bouncing or jumping baby or if you are celebrating your husband’s finding God and quitting drink and womanizing, find something else to read. Now.
I am angry. My dear Kaduna is on fire again. This time, it isn’t a cartoon, or blasphemy, or elections. It was Christian boys going crazy over the bombing of churches. I refuse to use the word that newspapers are using. Reprisals. The word is simply too noble to describe the stupidity of the action. A reprisal requires some sort of target, some thought. Killing a man who is as afraid of bombs as you are isn’t reprisal. Killing your neighbor or the guy you buy meat from isn’t reprisal. That is just plain cowardly. It is like a man who beats his wife because his boss shouted at him at work. It is like a child who kicks his dog because his mother made him wash his own socks.
I also refuse to say, like some do, that the boys who started killing innocent passersby are not Christian. That Christianity is a religion of peace that does not condone violence. The fact is, if a man who professes Christianity kills in the name of protecting Christianity, it is a Christian who attacked. Simple. Just like I think if a man professes Islam and attacks a Church in the name of his religion you cannot try to separate him from his religion.
So now, violence has been deregulated. The Christians do it. The Muslims do it.
Instead of holding inter-religious dialogue after crises like the one in Kaduna, I have a better idea. Come to Abuja at night. Do a documentary of all the posh-club-going, expensive-alcohol-drinking, fancy-sport-car riding stupendously rich residents of Abuja. Show the stupid poverty stricken people of Kaduna how every act of money-induced decadence usually involves both Muslims and Christians. Show them how stolen money is shared equally between Muslims and Christians. Show them how, between a rich and corrupt John and a rich and corrupt Alkasim, you cannot find religion. Only schemes to get more money and power. Show them and let them bury their heads in shame because while they burn and kill, people are getting rich, having sex, eating and drinking. Show them how over bottles of expensive wine, Muslims and Christians blaspheme each other’s religions and hi-five about it. I tell you, this is better than any religious reconciliation.
I am angry. Not because I really need to go to Kaduna and get my microwave but can’t. Not because I am worried for my parents. I am angry because we are blind. Blind to the fact that we are helping to fulfill the prediction about our 2015 breakup. Do we need another prophet to tell us that our real problem is not Boko Haram but our government? Do we need a magic practicing priest to tell us that a President who tells us pointedly that first the guys blowing us up are running the country with him, and next that we are in God’s hands, needs serious help? Should we not be teaming up with those who are comrades-in-poverty to ask serious questions about legislators who, through legal allowances and salaries are among the richest in the world, but still find it necessary to supplement that income with bribes?
Away from the Presidency, should we not be asking our Governors questions? Should my people, the ones who have risen up in defense of their religion and churches not ask why the Southern part of Kaduna City where mostly Christians live is about the worst place to live in Kaduna? The militant boys in Gonin-Gora who are always ready to block the Kaduna-Abuja expressway and slaughter unsuspecting Muslim passengers and motorists when they feel aggrieved, should they not ask why there are no roads in the area, even though their Governor is a ‘Christian’? Should they not ask why parts of that community have not had electricity for months, some parts even for over a year? Should they not be demanding water?
I am angry. That in 2015, these same boys will rise up to demand the re-election of their brother and son, who has not improved their lives in any way. That they cannot see that there is really no difference between a Christian Governor and a Muslim one especially if they are PDP Governors; that there is no difference between a Muslim President and a Christian one.
I am on the phone to my parents several times a day. They too, who live around some of the boys who started the killings after the bombs, are afraid of reprisals by Muslims. Everyone is afraid.
If Nigeria fails it will not be strange. It will be a failure by design. Orchestrated by our successive governments with the complicity of all of us, Muslims, Christians, Traditional worshippers and Atheists.
"I also refuse to say, like some do, that the boys who started killing innocent passers-by are not Christian. That Christianity is a religion of peace that does not condone violence. The FACT is, if a man who professes Christianity kills in the name of protecting Christianity, it is a Christian who attacked. Simple. Just like I THINK if a man professes Islam and attacks a Church in the name of his religion you cannot try to separate him from his religion."
I'm afraid its not that 'simple' dear. The phrases THE FACT IS/I THINK in closely following statements in the quote above immediately spells out an imbalance and highlights a mischievous undertone in your otherwise 'very angry' presentation. In order to reason properly, even though angry, one must look at the real facts. Writers are responsible for and will give account of their words irrespective of their motives or emotions.
Whilst a good per cent of Muslims are peace loving, it is not the Muslims that are faulted but the religion, the belief system, which specifies an attitude of hatred and acts of violence against non-adherents. If Christianity does not, in anyway allow violence, as a means of protecting itself (and it does not), then one who attacks innocents cannot be said to PROFESS Christianity. So in the instance of violence against innocents, one religion promotes and in fact demands it, whilst the other does not. Now this is a fact, the strong political aspect of Boko Haram notwithstanding. Your premise for the whole article therefore, whilst emotionally tenable is actually flawed- classic fallacy.
Many peace loving Muslims do not have deep knowledge of the tenets of their religion or just choose to ignore it, but when push comes to shove and a choice must be made, loyalty to the Islamic god and those that interpret his will requires adoption of extreme measures against 'infidels'.
A bank manager or politician who launders public funds is a thief irrespective of religion. No religion to my knowledge supports theft. That is also the case when a man physically abuses his wife in a drunken state. These are not religious-driven. Certain other crimes against humanity are: violence among others, is particular to Islam, the religion specifies it, just as it was in the Old Testament for the ancient Israelite nation.
Therefore not all atrocities of human behaviour are attributable to religion and in these, one must separate the man from what he claims to profess whatever it may be', while in certain others, to ignore the particular religion and lump it all together (probably under some 'Nigerian god', which though descriptive of religious hypocrisy, i urge you Sir ElNathan not to be ignorant of the fine line between satire and blasphemy)is to refuse to recognize the key problem.
Christians do not wake up in the morning to attack others because of Christianity. Anyone pushed to the wall may react inappropriately, and there are Muslims who take advantage of a weak security system to perpetrate evil, but there are several who owe their conviction for bloodshed to several words in the Qur'an and teachings in the mosques.
Finally the American military expedition in the Middle East following the 9/11 attacks was mostly in the wrong, but it was definitely not Christianity-motivated. It was not done for Jesus Christ, or in His Name. The same cannot be said for 'bin Laden or his suicide bombers, as the acts of these and people like them and their last cries before they forever perished are said in the name of the Muslim god.
Cheers.
What a nice piece the truth and nothing but the truth. God save us from this evil doers.
Amin
Sad, Sad, Sad
killings are wrong, "reprisal-killing' is wrong. 2 wrongs never make a right. True, our elected leaders are sickeningly corrupt as you shown, and deceive the people. However, I cant help wondering … did your anger not rise when bombs killed innocent worshippers in Madalla? & at the university chapel, among other bombs in places of worship? if there were no reprisals( again, i believe reprisal is wrong) after the Kaduna blast, would your anger not have been sufficiently stirred by the blast alone? Condemn the reprisal, but PLEASE, you should, more strongly condemn the unwarranted bomb blast.
Am not interested in any debate when it comes to issues that are critical as dis, especially when lives are massacred,neither to discuss problems; cos I believe in providing solutions to problems and not to join thoes who believes in political debates not to talk about apportioning blames to any religion or party. The truth of every matter will continue to be the truth while liars will continue turning things around. We must not be found speaking for any one except those who were paid to do so and I'm not sure that some Nigerian are not paid by BH to confuse people bt one thing I trust God is that BH have openly claimed 2b responsible for the attacks so the name of the attackers has been defined prior to some confusing reports and BH openly defined their targets and aim as being against the Govt, Police & Christians with the aim of Jihad. So I encourage those who want to alter this impression or speak for & not against BH, to tell BH to withdraw their earlier submission by Shekau d BH spokes man in his 1st video released or keep mute on the issue cos Nigerians will always go by what comes from the horse's mouth and not sympathisers.
I found ur anger very interesting,its when the Christians decide to respond that u r pouring out ur vexation.. I laff in spanish. Where were u when bombs were exploding in churches or does muslims attend churches. Mr…. Pls next u r going to write dis kind of piece do nt write with anger so u can think straight. When piece like dis also get people like us angry in as much I dnt support christians killing cos d Bible does nt support it. Have a great day n God bless nigeria and all d citizen
Carmen, thanks for urs and wenday's. But don't u think if as u said, most of the combines come from car bombs, then we should get car bomb detectors and deploy them at our churches and mosques? Where is the one trillion set aside for security in this years budget? These detectors are not expensive at all. I don't know how much car bumb detectors cost but common detectors used in searching people cost less than N10,000. 00 depending on type and supplier. I bought some about 3 years ago for my Muslim congregation at about N5000.00 each. The car bomb detectors can be seen in use in many Hotels even in Abuja for example.
Once we are able to find out how they commit these destadly acts, when and where, the govt. together with our little contribution of ideas and information should be able to stop this ungodly happenings. Why this has become difficult for govt. to do, I don't know. May be someone from the right place within govt. establishment reading this article and comments can explain their own side, if they have any.
Carmen, I agree wiv u on dan biu's views. But dats all we nigerians knw how to do best, talk n talk. But talk is cheap, wen r we takin dis talk to d streets to demand for our basic human rights. I dnt care right now who is a xtian or a muslim or if dis writeup is ill-timed (tho I thk it is) or not, wat I care abt is dt b4 a religion we r first n foremost humans. Wat happend to dat. Hav we all degenerated into monkeys n baboons, loosing all humanity? Smh
Dts y america is a better place to live in, bcos deir pple knw hw to seperate sentiments frm d basic truth. Nigerians r too sentimental, let us drop religion fr a while n face God.
Politics/battle is now interwoven into religion. Yoruba pple hv a saying dt na person wey belleful dey find wetin go burst hin belle, bt we never even chop nt to talk of been full, so y r we bursting each others tummmies. D priority shld b comin togeda to flush out dis govt n d thieving 2% dt r using religion to cause mayhem, we kill each other yet remain impoverished. Dey dnt kill/are not killed n they stil syphon funds n jet all over d world, afta funding d killin of innocent pple.
This is summarily a very bias piece, so incoherently put together. Hogwashed from one of those who downplay the dangers of Islamic terrorism. I now live without a religion because I find it difficult to believe that my God is so weak as to rely on Almajiris to defend him. The Christians are patient people.
really we are good in Nigeria about the paper work, but when it come to practical,…it becomes a problem……. i think is high time we the Nigerians look into this issue ,what is our role to nation building ,those one in place are they really qualify…..how do they get there ?let us check the root course of the problem then there will be an automatic turn around to every crisis ,conflict,issues,and the general unbalance in the society
Salam, brothers it is time now for us to put our heads together in other to move our country forward I am 100% in support. We need to start
By orientation of.people close to. Us on the need to strong and fearless. To be able to stand up to this so called leaders at any time and place it is time for the street killers to start killing the enemy and stop killing their brothers.
We need more of this informative write up and education cause alot of people are either ignorant or decided to be ethnic apologist by which they are doing what they doing for there own intrest. We need to educate the youth on the dangers of such actions and advise them to channelled our energy, resources in fighting corruption and corrupt politicians,Religious leaders,Traditional and community leaders. We must insist on one Agenda which is Development and Good governance from the said looters oh leaders.
Its so sad what is happenin so far in dis country,But defntly dere is more to it ,.May God expose all of dem.
Additional stupidity is that even if the prediction of the usurping powers financincing this carnage come true come 2015, the Christians and their Muslim in Kaduna must remain together in kaduna and in the North.
Chique should know that the Muslims are bigger victims of the Boko people than our Chirtian brethren. They go house to house, and shoot people with no apparent motive many atimes.
Ofcourse the Church issue is highly despicable and hurting. We Muslims are prohibited from destroying churches and synagogues even at the height of war because they are places where the name of God is being celebrated, I don't know know where this group, if it exists, takes it's teachings from. But there are also reports of some christans being caught in the act of trying to blow up or burn churches across the country whle disguised as Muslims, apparently due one grievance or the other. How confusing?
My take is that if members of churches could take more precaution and guard their churches at least two days before service time, prohibit all pacels from being taken inside, and search all people and belongings going into the church, God willing this happenings would reduced drastically if not eliminated.
The problem is we're Godless society professing to warshippers of God. Our leaders are so corrupt and yet we encourage them by praising them at home, giving them traditional titles, honorary degrees etc.when they're at home and abuse corruption in papers and radio. The same leaders after milking us dry through outright stealing, buying our public companies at cheap prices in the name of privatisation and plundering the assets etc have now decided with their foreign masters to go for the final kill-make us into a Somalia so that even the crumbs we are survive on, would be free for their taking-Remember almost all somalians are Muslims but they their clan alliegencies to destroy them.
May God almighty come to our aid. Amen.
Thank you Danbiu for this reply.
Danbiu, great comment. But just one correction. Most churches I know of actually DO block off the premises, search people going into the church and prevent people from taking anything larger than a Bible and a very small wallet. Most of the bombings have been car bombs, not people bringing bombs into the compounds. So, it's not that churches have not been taking preventative measures. But, as for the rest of your comment, I mostly agree with you. No fair-minded Christian should blame all Muslims for this–any more than they should blame all Christians for armed robbers who come from Christian families.
It's like you have all forgotten that citizens in NIgeria have no say nor right but the selfish government…I think the only solution is a military coup to overthrow the selfish government for a while and then hand the government over to those who can actually rule selflessly bbut untill then, we just have to pray real hard…we have the worst government ever they have taken from us,they will pay in the hereafter…thanks a lot for going through this dear john it shows how patriotic you are and may almighty God continue giving you the confidence and strength to keep saying the truth…pray for nigeria
D truth, bitter truth, and nothing but d truth. D problem though is how to get across to the boys (both Christian n Muslim). They r beyond their parents, Pastors/imams. In their communities neither the corrupt and (s)elected authority nor 'elders' have earned their respect. So? I just remembered that their representatives don't live in their midst. Akwai aiki (Work dey)!
very good enlightment,this wot the Nigerian media house suppose 2 propagate.nt wrong new that wil ignite voilence,so as to sell ur nonesense pappers
Y ddnt aall dis write ups and comments come all d while dey've been bombing churches. When christians decided 2 take laws into their hands,evry1 is preachn peace….this few days ve put evry1 on his or her feet,it has brut out d hurt of christians. Let d muslim leaders talk 2 theirr boko pple.we can't die in silenc. Evy1 scared of goin 2 church
Adewumi, you either don't understand the write up or you are actually the one from another planet , or bias. May be you go over it again.
We kill & maim each other while the 'COOLS & GANGS enjoy at our expense.
I agree with one respondents that traditional guys are peaceful guy. It is us ' Muslim & Christains' that are our problems. And that is why these group of people use us always as bait for their selfish ends to cause social feud.
I pray that Almight God will make us see the truth & give us the power to follow it, amin.
My brother exellent comments.May Allah make us to understand all u said amen.May He grant us peace.
This piece and stuff like it shld reach the boys of Gonin Gora, Rigasa etc. Unfortunately these children hardly got any education and r beyond their parents, talkless of Pastors/Imams or any 'authority'. Unfortunately some of us that are 'educated' are so biased and blinded to d truth contained in this write-up.
shine your eyes Nigerians.
I can only say brother that I love u for this for the sake of Allah. If only u can get this across to your fellow christians and I to my fellow muslims but NO, they both do not want to hear the truth, especially if you are quoting the same truth from the Quran or the bible, because the ignorance is really a bliss to them…what we need now more then anything is prayer…God bless u for this
On point sir, you have just established d correlation between poverty and stupidity. But I beg 2 disagree o traditional worshipers cannot b blamed for whatever happens to Nigeria in the long run. They have always been a peaceful lot. The problem has always been these foreign religions
A great article! But our biggest challenge is how to get d majority informed, because they are the ones acting without a clue of what they are getting into. I've been thinking hard about this. Kindly share any idea of a possible way to guide d misinformed.
We need to put our heads together irrespective of Religion,ethnicity etc bcos we r one whether we like it or not God is watching us and we need to ask for sincere forgiveness to achieve a bloodsucking Govt free country! Eg Dana crash and state killings. We should help ourselves for God to Help us
Brilliant! Brilliant! Well said.
u r blessed. U cldnt have said it beta. But d truth is, we d educated ones knw ds. Hw do we get it across to d uneducated ppl out there. D militants, area boys…? They r d ones on d streets killing ppl not us. Hw do we get thru to dem?
we should all take a break and read this.
Danladi, I read it ohhhh, we are all manipulated by a few
Its obvious that the writer just landed from another planet or delibrately bias
Sorry Adeyinka, but it seems you are the one who just landed from another planet or being biased here.
This guy understands the situation on the ground, do you? He is more down to earth than you, I believe. HE IS A SON OF D SOIL. And he is biased against who? His name is not Nasir El-Rufai, mark you.
So Elnathan is now angry when kaduna christians did their own killings. Inasmuch as I don't support any form of killing, I find the timing of his anger to be very interesting.
@ Affiongl I do too, but that does not detract from his message…we are all victims Christian or Muslims
True we are all victims but why is his anger just starting now?
True we are all victims but why is his anger just starting now?
I think that valid question is for Elnathan to answer…and *tongue-in-cheek* for us to ponder…
Adeyinka Somalians, Iraqis, Libyans are muslims and they are still killing themselves till date because of what? started or 'advised' by who? The one who benefits from the cannage obviously? Does it make sense that Osama bin Laden's men went to fight on the side of NATO in Yugoslavia? And against who? Google it you need to be informed about thier capacities and tendencies 'cause this is not a joke! Some here are etra cool, kunbi, Marye, z, wise people like you, and some people need answer the quest
You have done an excellent job! May the Almighty give us the grace to see the truth and be set free by it.
Good chiding.We all need lessons on patriotism!
Amen, brother. You hit the nail right on the head.