3rd
January, 2017
PRESS RELEASE:
SOUTHERN
KADUNA: HEAR FROM ALL STAKEHOLDERS
The past one week has witnessed reckless violence in Southern
Kaduna. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Catholic Archdiocese
of Kafanchan have claimed that about 808 people have been killed so far in 53
villages.
The Muslim Rights
Concern (MURIC) condemns these killings. We hate violence. We detest the sight
of blood. Human life is sacred and nobody has the right to take the life of a
fellow human being.
Nonetheless, we call for caution. We remind all stakeholders
that both the Qur’an and the Bible enjoin caution in cases like this. The two
scriptures ask mankind to investigate all cases before jumping to conclusions
(Qur’an 49:6; 1st Thessalonians 5:21).
Both the press and the security agencies have questions to
answer on the pogrom going on in Southern Kaduna: the press for giving the
Nigerian public only one side of the story and the security agencies for
allowing the killings to continue unabated. We remind the Federal Government
(FG) that the primary duty of government is to protect the citizens’ lives and
properties. Article 14 Section 2(b) of
the 1999 Constitution states that “the security and welfare of the people shall
be the primary purpose of government”.
MURIC is concerned that the public has been fed with only the
Christian side of the story. Justice and fair hearing demands that we hear from
the other side. What happened to professionalism on the part of the press? Is
hearing from the other side also not part of investigative journalism? Are
there no Islamic organizations in Southern Kaduna? What of the Muslim Youth
Foundation of Southern Kaduna (MYFOSKA)? Why haven’t they been interviewed?
The Nigerian press should not be asymmetrical. Parochial
reportage is an ill wind that will blow nobody any good. We can only know the
beginning of a crisis. Nobody can predict its end. Those who fan the embers of
violence may end up as victims. MURIC feels concerned whenever there is
violence in Nigeria. What this country needs for economic recovery and
political stability is peace.
MURIC is in possession
of documents which prove that Muslims were the first victims of attacks in
Southern Kaduna and the attacks which targeted Muslim business premises, homes
and families had begun since October 2016. But we will not release the
documents yet so that the conflict will not exacerbate. Suffice it to note that
security agents have caught some Christians with arms in the area since the
conflict began some days ago.
We therefore take CAN’s allegation of official endorsement of
the killings with a pinch of salt. It is subtle blackmail. Why must CAN’s
handling of every crisis be clouded in religious profiling? It is high time we started
to see our leaders as Nigerians and not as belonging to any particular tribe or
faith. Criminals also must be seen from the point of view of their actions and
not necessarily associated with their religion or ethnic group. Herdsmen must therefore
be called herdsmen and not necessarily tied to the aprons of Muslims or
Fulanis.
Finally, we charge the Federal Government to flood Southern Kaduna
with security personnel. We welcome the Senate’s decision to probe the Southern
Kaduna crisis. We call on Muslims in Southern Kaduna to remain calm and law
abiding, to refrain from issuing inflammatory statements and to cooperate with
security agents posted to the area. We appeal to CAN and the Catholic
archdiocese of Kafanchan to douse tension among Christians in Southern Kaduna.
Professor
Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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