Article of Faith
Gov Wike, Phantom Mosque and Muslim Zealotry in Nigeria -By Leo Igwe
So Muslims threatening attacks, vengeance, and retaliation in response to real or imagined demolition of a mosque should know this: They are fanatics, and enemies of the Nigerian state.
Religion is a volatile issue in Nigeria, anytime, any day. Anybody who wants to understand the Nigerian fault line should commit a religious faux pas. This is worse when it has to do with Islam. Things easily boil over as if a national conflagration is imminent. This is especially the case when the culprit is a Kafir, or a non-muslim. Or when some perceived unbeliever is involved. There is usually seething resentment and implacable anger, thirst for blood and quest for vengeance. The thin line demarcating moderation and extremism, kindness and cruelty, reason and blind faith blurs and quickly disappears. This has been the fate of Nigeria. And this Nigerian predicament is not changing for the better any time soon no matter how the religious try to pretend, hide or deny this open sore. This Nigerian religious reality ominously holds sway.This was recently the case with the governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike. He was recently in the news. What was his crime? Some muslim enthusiasts peddled a mischievous rumor that he demolished a mosque in Port Harcourt. Within hours, this piece of misinformation has spread all over social media. Muslim enthusiasts started mobilizing and threatening Christians. They were calling for the demolition of churches in some parts of the Islamic North. Several online posts from local jihadists urged muslims to revenge and retaliate on specific dates and places. Even a statement that Gov Wike released debunking the claim, and stating that no mosque was destroyed, did very little to douse the tension and placate these fanatics.
For the avoidance of doubt,
Now, some muslims are threatening to attack and burnt down churches in the North in retaliation for the phantom mosque that was destroyed in Port Harcourt, right? These muslims need to ask themselves: How many ‘real’ churches have sharia governors demolished in the past years? How many churches have Boko Haram militants and other jihadists destroyed?
Now let us assume that Gov Wike partially or completely demolished a mosque in Port Harcourt. How is that an offense that warrants any attack or demolition of churches in the North? Are these Muslims saying that the government has no power to pull down mosques?
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So Muslims threatening attacks, vengeance, and retaliation in response to real or imagined demolition of a mosque should know this: They are