Don’t Take Sides in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, CAN Tells Buhari

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari against joining the Arab world in their dispute with Israel.

It said Nigeria must stay clear from the ongoing violence in the Middle East and should not take side as advocated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey because Nigeria is a secular state.

Erdogan had reportedly called “for action by the international community to teach the necessary lesson to unlawful, unjust and unscrupulous Israel” due to its attacks against Palestine,

CAN said that President Erdogan expressed his belief that Nigeria would show solidarity with the Palestinians in this rightful cause.

In a statement issued yesterday by its National Secretary, Rev. Daramola Joseph Bade, CAN urged the international community to intervene in the ongoing bloody actions in the Middle East without taking side if they truly wanted an enduring peace.

“We are worried that Nigeria which was wrongly labelled an Islamic state because of her unlawful membership of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) has been taking side with the Palestinians since the emergence of President Buhari. Hence why the Turkish President asked Nigeria to identify with the Palestinians,” it said.

CAN said that it had become necessary to remind the federal government and the National Assembly that Nigeria is not an Islamic State.

Part of the statement reads: “On behalf of every Nigerian Christian, we call on the Federal government to reverse itself on the support that has been given to the Palestinians to date. For the record, millions of Nigerian Christians are in support of Israel against the position of the government.

“We once again remind the federal government and the National Assembly that Nigeria is not an Islamic State.

“We call on the international community to intervene in the ongoing bloody actions in the Middle East without taking side if they truly wanted an enduring peace. We agree with the United States that Israel has the right to defend herself against external aggression. We see no reason why Nigeria should take side with either of the warring factions”.