CAN Cautions Muslim Leaders against Instigating Religious Crisis

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has cautioned some Muslim leaders in Nigeria against promotion of violence that may throw the country into avoidable religious crisis.

In a statement issued yesterday by its National Secretary, Rev. Joseph Bade Daramola, the religious body accused some Islamic leaders of provoking their Christian counterparts to anger in the way they conducted their activities.

“We are worried and disappointed with the activities of some Islamic extremists in the country whose past time is how to trigger religious crises and violence and throw the already nervous country as a result of serious security concerns into utter confusion.

“All over the country, there are some actions that are being taken by some Islamic leaders, who are out to provoke their Christian counterparts to anger, which CAN has been working behind the scene to nip such ungodly actions in the bud,” it said.

CAN said that it was still trying to curb the violence occasioned by the Kwara State Governor’s directive to mission’s schools to allow the wearing of hijab.

CAN noted that some extremists had capitalised on the situation to build Ummul Khair Central Mosque and Islamic Centre beside the Catholic Bishop’s House and the Secretariat primarily to tempt peace-loving Christians into a religious crisis.

CAN wondered if Islamic schools would allow Catholics or Christian women who are their students to dress to the school premises in their cassocks.

“To compound the problem, one Imam Abubakar Ali-Agan and the General Manager, Kwara State Physical Planning Authority, are claiming that there was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Catholic Bishop of Ilorin and the owners of the Ummul Khair Central Mosque before they built the two buildings, whereas, it was absolute falsehood and misinformation.

“But if they are certain about their claim, they should publish the said Memorandum of Understanding.

“It is high time we advised some Muslim leaders in the country to stop fishing in troubled waters with a view to provoking Christians whom they share the same neighbourhood with. This should stop,” CAN said.

CAN said that no religion had monopoly of violence, “hence, Christian leaders continue, always, to caution faithful Christians against provocative actions against other religions or citizens wherever they live as Jesus Christ taught us.

“We therefore call on the security agencies to caution and prevent any group of people whose actions can lead to religious and social crises and violence in the country. We also call on all well-meaning Islamic leaders to talk to their members with provocative and evil-intended actions.

“We have had enough bloodletting in the country. Violence lovers should be firmly reprimanded and disciplined.

“We equally appeal to the Kwara State Government to order the relocation of the controversial mosque and the Islamic Centre immediately in order to prevent the crisis being deliberately provoked by some Islamic leaders and followers in the country,” CAN said