Sultan, Oritsejafor Differ On War Against Boko Haram

Two prominent Nigerian religious leaders the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji
Sa'ad Abubakar III, and the National President of the Christian
Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, yesterday, openly
differed on the war being waged against Nigeria by the Boko Haram
insurgents.

Although the two religious leaders agreed that the Boko Haram sect had
committed serious havoc against the country and its people, they
disagreed sharply on why the sect has continued to unleash unabated
violence on the nation.

The two men of God spoke at a roundtable meeting with special advisers
on religious affairs drawn from the 36 states of the federation and
the Federal Capital Territory held at the old Banquet Hall of the
Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The programme with the theme "Toward synergising and interfacing in
the religious sector for national development" organised by the
Offices of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Islamic
and Christian Matters was declared open by Vice President Namadi
Sambo.

In effect, Abubakar had insisted that Islamic leaders had done their
best to dissuade the sect from committing further destruction of lives
and property while the CAN President punctured the claim, saying that
the Islamic leaders had not done enough in that regard.

Muslim leaders have tried so much--Sultan

According to the Sultan, Islamic leaders have "tried so much" to
preach against the activities of the sect but Oritsejafor said such
effort was not strong enough to prevent the insurgents from further
mayhem.

The Sultan maintained that there was no problem between Islam and
Christianity in Nigeria, pointing out that if there was any problem
between the two major religions, it would have been dealt with at that
level.

Abubakar, however, blamed the rising level of insurgence on lack of
education about religions which breeds lack of trust and sincerity.

He regretted that while Islamic leaders have continued to condemn the
insurgents, they are still being accused of not doing enough. This, he
said, was not fair to the religious leaders.

He said, he had personally gone across the globe to preach peace and
uphold the fact that there is no problem between Islam and
Christianity.

In his quest for peaceful relationship between adherents of the two
religions, the Sultan said he had written two separate lengthy letters
to the Catholic Pope and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

He said when people were asking Islamic leaders to sit with insurgents
and discuss, they fail to note that the current situation could not be
compared to the activities of militants in the Niger Delta.

Abubakar said: "In a situation where Muslim leaders condemn insurgents
and they will still be told they have not done enough. That is not
fair. We don't tell ourselves the truth. Followers are not telling the
leaders the truth, and the leaders will think they are doing the right
things.

"If the governor in Sokoto is told that he should sponsor four people
to Christian pilgrimage, so be it. It is government's fund. If a land
is needed in Kano for a church, they should get it after following the
due process.

"Muslim leaders have tried so much. I have gone across the globe to
say that there is no problem between Islam and Christianity.

We are not going deep enough--Oritsejafor

Oritsejafor said: "But if we would come together there must be
sincerity, equality, fear of God and genuine love for one another. The
problem with gatherings like this is that if we are not careful it
becomes an occasion for good photographs, we shake hands, we talk very
nicely, we are all politically correct. We don't want to offend each
other. Please let's offend each other, we need to. Because if we don't
offend each other, we will not tell each other the truth and that is
part of Nigeria's problem.

"If you come out to say certain things, there are those who feel you
are rocking the boat, but God is in the boat, the boat will not sink.
Let us talk to each other, let's tell the truth to each other and
let's not sweep it under the carpet. When we finish the opening
ceremony and you go into the close door session, lay all the cards on
the table.

"It is truth your Eminence that Christianity and Islam have no problem
but I'm glad you said, there could be problem between Christians and
Muslims and the reason is because probably we are not going deep
enough."
.....

--Vanguard