The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has urged the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah, not to take Muslims’ kindness for timidity or foolishness.
JNI was reacting to Kukah’s Christmas message.
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A statement Wednesday by JNI Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, said Kukah’s message was an attack on Islam and Muslims in Nigeria.
“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,” he said.
He said Christmas homilies should come with messages of hope, unity, mercy, forgiveness of the Supreme Being and resilience through prayers, especially in this trying time.
He noted that the Bishop’s message was however a clear deviation from well-established norm across the globe.
“In spite of the liberality, congeniality and the camaraderie extended to Bishop Kukah in Sokoto and all over the Muslim north, he throws all sense of decorum and common sense to the wind and fired invective salvos on the Muslims and Islam without any justification.
“By this and his several similar inane attacks against Islam and the Muslims, the Bishop has lost the friendship and the hospitality of the entire Muslim populace. How can the Muslims ever trust a man who smiles at their faces in the day and hold dagger against them in the night? How can the Muslims continue to be hospitable to the one who proves to be ingrate many times over? How can the Muslims be comfortable in associating with a bitterly vindictive person disguised in the garb of religious clergy?
“Muslims in Nigeria cannot be charged and be held responsible or accountable for the actions or inactions of Government just because it is headed by a Muslim. The Bishop cannot pretend to be attacking President Buhari and end up punching Islam and the Muslims. We will never accept to be used as punching bag of the vindictive Bishop,” he said.
“To this end, we call on all Muslims to continue to remain calm in the face of these provocations in order to deny conflict entrepreneurs disguised as clergies the avenue to market their stock.
“Muslims are enjoined to continuously uphold the teachings of Islam, especially in regards to accommodativeness, conviviality and hospitality. Let’s continue to relate well with our peace loving Christian neighbors and colleagues regardless of the vituperations of some misguided elements among them,” JNI said.
