Enough Of The Religious Intolerance
Recently, Nigeria woke to the news of the murder of a female evangelist, Mrs Eunice Elisha, an assistant pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Abuja. The late Mrs Elisha was murdered by as yet unidentified suspects believed to be Muslim religious fanatics in Gbazango area of Kubwa, Bwari area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) while preaching early in the morning.
The late evangelist’s death is one of many such deaths in recent times. In June this year, a 74-year-old woman, Mrs Bridget Agbaheme, was gruesomely murdered in Wambai Market, Kano State, following a disagreement between her and a man who had allegedly come to the front of her business premises to perform ablution. Her objection to him earned her death. Last week, some fanatical youths reportedly numbering over 200, attacked worshippers at St. Philips Catholic Church, Suleja, Niger State, and destroyed some property. Their grouse was that Friday is their day of worship and as such, the church had no business opening its doors to worshippers on the same day. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in a recent statement also informed of the killing of a cleric of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Rev. Zakaria by attackers on his farm in Obi local government area of Nasarawa State.
These are some of the incidents of religious intolerance, which is growing at an alarming rate in the country. While cases of religious fanaticism are not entirely new in the country, the frequency of recent events gives cause for serious concern. The trend needs to be nipped and fast too.
It is disturbing that the Nigerian life has become increasingly cheap, with such acts carried out by citizens against others. These acts could lead to a situation of mutual distrust between some Muslims and non-Muslims in the country. Section 14 of the 1999 Constitution as amended states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” Section 10 of the same constitution states that “the government of the federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as State religion,” while according to Section 38 (1), “every person shall be entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom (either alone or in community with others, and in public or in private), to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance.”
What these sections of the constitution imply is that all citizens of Nigeria should feel safe wherever they find themselves in the country, irrespective of the faith they profess as Nigeria remains a multi-religious state. These rights are guaranteed in the country’s constitution which every elected officer pledges to uphold.
In our view, these incidents cannot be far removed from the activities of some scholars who radicalise young impressionable people, most of who are not literate enough to read and understand the teachings in the holy books by themselves, through their teachings. Failure of parents to teach their children the right things and rein them in when they err is also a factor. Religion in itself is not the problem but how adherents of the different faiths go about its practice is what matters. The predominant religions in the country, Islam and Christianity, preach peace yet such acts of extremism and intolerance are traced to adherents of these faiths. It is implausible how a person professing their faith and propagating their religion constitutes a stumbling block to the practice of another’s faith.
Nigeria is already overburdened by economic hardship, Boko Haram terrorism in the north east, militancy in the Niger Delta, high spate of armed robbery and kidnapping among others. We may survive all of those but may not withstand religious extremism and intolerance. The recent histories of Somalia, Sudan and Ethiopia among other countries that have walked this road are evidence enough.
The government must be decisive if this trend must stop. The cyclic cases of murder and violent radicalism in the country on the basis of religion require decisive action from those in authority, to pull the country from further drift down this ignoble path. This has indeed assumed a dangerous dimension and times like these call for urgent measures. Those in positions of authority must speak and act against such practices while those arrested should be prosecuted speedily and brought to justice, to serve as a deterrent to others.
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