The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has
accused an Islamic group, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) of inciting
violence against him over his controversial Christmas message.
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
The clergyman in a message titled: “A Nation in search
of vindication”, had earlier accused the Buhari
administration of not living up to expectations of Nigerians due to
various economic and security challenges affecting the nation.
![image](/2020/10/NWLRland.jpg")
He said Mr Buhari was “institutionalising northern hegemony
against national interests.”
In a reaction to Mr Kukah’s sermon, JNI, in a statement dated
January 6 described the bishop’s sermon as “irresponsible and
seditious”.
The statement was signed by the secretary of JNI, Khalid
Aliyu.
According to him, Mr Kukah message “was a prepared address
considering the occasion and the audience, one cannot but agree
that it was a calculated attempt to insult Islam which is typical
of him. His veiled insinuation that Muslims have a pool of violence
to draw from, is disgusting, disheartening, as well as
condemnable.”
Another Islamic group, the Ummah Movement with its headquarters
at the National Islamic Centre (NIC), Zaria, had said the failure
of Mr Kukah to retract its statement early enough triggered its
reaction, hence “called for the immediate resignation of the Bishop
from the Peace Committee, in view of his blatant anti-Muslim
partisanship as displayed in his treasonable Christmas
message.”
The movement’s call was made known in a statement by its leader,
Muhammad Muhammad and was made available to the press on
Sunday.
JNI inciting violence – Kukah
In response to the statement by JNI, the bishop said the Islamic
group was simply inciting violence against him.
He said this in a release on Monday.
He said “the JNI secretary focused more on politics than
humanity to have accused him of firing an arrow at the heart of
Islam and Muslims in Nigeria”.
“Dr Aliyu has accused me of being an enemy of his Religion,
Islam. He accused me of what he calls, firing an arrow at the heart
of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria. He says I have been accorded
respect and accommodated in Sokoto and I have turned around to bite
a finger that has fed me. He poses a question: How can Muslims
continue to be hospitable to one who proves to be an ingrate many
times over? How can Muslims be comfortable in associating with a
bitterly vindictive person disguised in the garb of a religious
cleric? I can only take this statement from the Secretary General
of JNI as a clear case of incitement to violence against me.”
The outspoken cleric explained that “he is more interested on
how religion can be used to foster unity as against what he was
accused of doing”.
“Finally, I will make only two points. First, my area of
research is Religion, Politics and Society. I am concerned about
how religion can help to form good citizens and also how the state
can create an environment that enables citizens to achieve this. In
all of my writings over the last forty or more years, I have never
written a single paper or article on Islam as a Religion. If there
is any scholar anywhere who knows, let him or her say so. I have
written about Religion focusing on how both citizens and the state
deal with it with focus on politicians. My concerns are summarised
in what the late Professor Bala Usman loosely referred to as the
manipulation of religion. This manipulation is what has turned
religion into a weapon of war in Nigeria.
“Secondly, I will request Dr Aliyu as a matter of honour and
based on the text of my sermon to formally identify where in my
Sermon I attacked Islam or all Muslims in Nigeria and the world
according to him. I am more than happy to apologise for the
offensive part of the statement. The relevant paragraphs in my
Sermon focused on the two painful themes of nepotism and the
hemoraging of lives in our country, a fact that as I said, most
religious leaders and statesmen and women have alluded to. How a
critique of government policies suddenly becomes hatred of Islam
and the north, beggars belief. I am therefore calling on Dr. Aliyu
to clarify and validate his accusations against me and advance the
reasons why he should incite violence against me. I am unaware of
anyone in Sokoto who has accused me of any misdemeanor or actions
aimed at undermining the state or anyone, no least the faith of
Islam.”
The bishop said his sermon was on how to make Nigeria great.
“I believe that today, nepotism poses a serious threat to our
country,” he said. “The second point was the issue of the
insecurity and how the north has become so affected. My belief was
to add my voice to the voices of millions of Nigerians, Muslims,
Christians, Traditional rulers, Statesmen and all who have shown
genuine concern.”
“It will be a great pity and a disservice to our efforts at
national cohesion if we resort to the kind of diversionary threats
that Dr Aliyu has embarked on. It only makes the job of insurgents
easier if we become enemies to one another.”
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has
accused an Islamic group, Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) of inciting
violence against him over his controversial Christmas message.
The clergyman in a message titled: “A Nation in search
of vindication”, had earlier accused the Buhari
administration of not living up to expectations of Nigerians due to
various economic and security challenges affecting the nation.
He said Mr Buhari was “institutionalising northern hegemony
against national interests.”
In a reaction to Mr Kukah’s sermon, JNI, in a statement dated
January 6 described the bishop’s sermon as “irresponsible and
seditious”.
The statement was signed by the secretary of JNI, Khalid
Aliyu.
According to him, Mr Kukah message “was a prepared address
considering the occasion and the audience, one cannot but agree
that it was a calculated attempt to insult Islam which is typical
of him. His veiled insinuation that Muslims have a pool of violence
to draw from, is disgusting, disheartening, as well as
condemnable.”
Another Islamic group, the Ummah Movement with its headquarters
at the National Islamic Centre (NIC), Zaria, had said the failure
of Mr Kukah to retract its statement early enough triggered its
reaction, hence “called for the immediate resignation of the Bishop
from the Peace Committee, in view of his blatant anti-Muslim
partisanship as displayed in his treasonable Christmas
message.”
The movement’s call was made known in a statement by its leader,
Muhammad Muhammad and was made available to the press on
Sunday.
JNI inciting violence – Kukah
In response to the statement by JNI, the bishop said the Islamic
group was simply inciting violence against him.
He said this in a release on Monday.
He said “the JNI secretary focused more on politics than
humanity to have accused him of firing an arrow at the heart of
Islam and Muslims in Nigeria”.
“Dr Aliyu has accused me of being an enemy of his Religion,
Islam. He accused me of what he calls, firing an arrow at the heart
of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria. He says I have been accorded
respect and accommodated in Sokoto and I have turned around to bite
a finger that has fed me. He poses a question: How can Muslims
continue to be hospitable to one who proves to be an ingrate many
times over? How can Muslims be comfortable in associating with a
bitterly vindictive person disguised in the garb of a religious
cleric? I can only take this statement from the Secretary General
of JNI as a clear case of incitement to violence against me.”
The outspoken cleric explained that “he is more interested on
how religion can be used to foster unity as against what he was
accused of doing”.
“Finally, I will make only two points. First, my area of
research is Religion, Politics and Society. I am concerned about
how religion can help to form good citizens and also how the state
can create an environment that enables citizens to achieve this. In
all of my writings over the last forty or more years, I have never
written a single paper or article on Islam as a Religion. If there
is any scholar anywhere who knows, let him or her say so. I have
written about Religion focusing on how both citizens and the state
deal with it with focus on politicians. My concerns are summarised
in what the late Professor Bala Usman loosely referred to as the
manipulation of religion. This manipulation is what has turned
religion into a weapon of war in Nigeria.
“Secondly, I will request Dr Aliyu as a matter of honour and
based on the text of my sermon to formally identify where in my
Sermon I attacked Islam or all Muslims in Nigeria and the world
according to him. I am more than happy to apologise for the
offensive part of the statement. The relevant paragraphs in my
Sermon focused on the two painful themes of nepotism and the
hemoraging of lives in our country, a fact that as I said, most
religious leaders and statesmen and women have alluded to. How a
critique of government policies suddenly becomes hatred of Islam
and the north, beggars belief. I am therefore calling on Dr. Aliyu
to clarify and validate his accusations against me and advance the
reasons why he should incite violence against me. I am unaware of
anyone in Sokoto who has accused me of any misdemeanor or actions
aimed at undermining the state or anyone, no least the faith of
Islam.”
The bishop said his sermon was on how to make Nigeria great.
“I believe that today, nepotism poses a serious threat to our
country,” he said. “The second point was the issue of the
insecurity and how the north has become so affected. My belief was
to add my voice to the voices of millions of Nigerians, Muslims,
Christians, Traditional rulers, Statesmen and all who have shown
genuine concern.”
“It will be a great pity and a disservice to our efforts at
national cohesion if we resort to the kind of diversionary threats
that Dr Aliyu has embarked on. It only makes the job of insurgents
easier if we become enemies to one another.”