Dalung greet Nigerians on Easter Celebratios advocates for Justice.
While peace is not lack of conflict but the absence of justice, therefore, “come let us reason together says the Lord......” Isaiah 1:18
A worrisome phenomenon engulfing ethnic and religious entities in contemporary Nigeria is the degenerating social harmony. These escalating tendencies is manifesting in the character of conflicts between Christians and Muslims, Fulani herders and farmers, indigenes verses settlers dichotomy or Bokoharam insurgents, kidnappings, cattle rustling, armed robberies, corruption, injustice, poverty, hunger, etc.
The geometrical progression in socio-religious, cultural or ethnic tensions has re-configured the chemistry of national stability. This scaring development remains foundational threats to peace and unity. It also undermines government’s capacity to restore confidence in the security architecture
due to calibrating dynamics from one form of criminality to the other. Peaceful co-existence as lubricant of multiculturalism is merely utopian because the social fabric of our diversity is under siege.
Consequently, the phenomenon of Internally Displaced Persons(IDPS) littered all over Northern States, from Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Borno, Yobe, Kaduna, Plateau, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi and even extending to some Southern states. Indeed dwindling economic fortunes contributes in widening the social gap confronting the country. Divisive social grouping has evolved as alternative to identity security, for instance, In Kaduna Metropolis, most Christians have relocated to Kaduna South, while the Muslims populate the Northern part. Also, Jos Metropolis has the same resettlement pattern with Christians in Southern part while Muslims predominate the Northern part.
In States where exclusive settlement pattern is not obtainable there are in place designated areas created for other faiths. In Southern Nigeria Where it’s predominantly Christians, the Northern Muslims live in areas known as Anguwan Hausawa, while in some Northern States, Christians are mostly found in designated places called Anguwan Mission, Sabongari or Sabon Pegi etc.
Even though some of these structures are part of colonial heritage it has been exaggerated by the Nigerian state against the spirit of national integration. The spirit of every constitutional adventure seek to create a nation but recalcitrant attitude of political elites has been the bane. Therefore, the distorting trends of social dichotomy is beneficial for political enterprise. The complicity of political elites in compounding stability is strategic to foster dominance. Unfortunately, the situation has been more of abandonment of constitutional responsibilities to protection of lives and properties of citizens. In accounting for leadership deficits, public officials often engaged consistently in an unimaginable trading of blame.
while soliciting for votes politicians will advocates equality, justice, peace and unity, upon elections and on assumption of offices, oaths are administered with either the Quran or Bible to mislead the population. Unfortunately, it has been a herculean task to reconcile their performance with either campaign promises or the oath taking traditions.
Religious leaders as custodians of national conscience cannot be exempted from deepening conflict narratives because stinking statements emerging from some of them only inflamed passion of adherents thereby igniting distrust and mutual suspicion within communities. The spiking of hate speeches within religious groups to fan embers of discord is mind boggling.
It has been challenging reconciling some of the descriptive nomenclature deployed against each other by religious groups. Often times, I listen to some Islamic clerics used “kafiri or arna to refer Christians, then who are the alhub kitabi (please excuse my spelling, I am not an Arabic scholar) mentioned in the Glorious Quran as “ men of the revealed books? My Muslim brothers can intervene with clarification here to enrich the understanding of our differences.
On the other divide where I belong, there are provocative utterances by some pastors who make derogatory statements against Islam calling Muslims all sorts of unprintable names. Jesus Christ commissioned us to preach the gospel of love to all mankind. Who appointed you a judge against fellow mortals? According to the Scriptures, without love nobody can please God. If you cannot love them as you love yourself according to the Bible, then what’s your business in derogating their faith? My Christian brothers are invited to contribute to this disease eating deep the fabric of our social harmony
Above all, ungodly acts which corrupt values are not only celebrated but has been entrenched as part of our social norms. The emerging trends in digital technology providing unlimited accessibility to information and wealth creation is negatively deployed to promote ethnic chauvinism and religious bigotry. Consequently, many lives and properties has been lost to merchandise of crisis entrepreneurs inflicting unwholesome trauma with hate speech.
To foster mutual consensus in Nigeria’s multicultural society, concerted efforts must be invested in common values which binds us together while de-emphasizing demonization of one another. In adopting sustainable peace strategies, it is imperative to review historical evolution of relationships between the dominant faiths like Christianity and Islam. Was it how it was before? How did we get here?
“Be of great joy for I have overcome the world” Love you all.
Happy Easter.
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