by Kenneth F. Dareng, Nigeria, September 1997
THEME = ISLAM-CHRISTIAN
Christians say that Muslims are trying to wipe out Christianity. Muslims accuse Christians in the south-west, of inciting fellow- Christians in the north to fight a holy war against Islam.
Recently, there have been a series of religious confrontations in the north. In 1982 - the burning of church buildings by Muslim fanatics in Kano. 1991 - the bloody religious riots in Bauchi. 1994 - the demolition of some church buildings by the Kano State Urban Development Board. Other incidents giving rise to tension are: the denial of a Certificate of Occupancy for church buildings in most northern states e.g. Kano, Bauchi, Kebbi, Jigawa, Katsina, Gombe, Adamawa, amongst others; stringent immigration restrictions on foreign Christian missionaries.
Perhaps the most disturbing decision of all, was an attempt by the Federal Government to decrease the number of Christian official holidays from four to three - Easter Monday being eliminated. At the same time, there was an increase in Muslim Festival days from three to five - two days for Id-el-Fitir and Id-el Adhar, and one day for Id-el Maulid. This is over and above the introduction into Nigeria of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Sharia Law controversy.
On a Federal level, it is clear that more opportunities within the civil service and government are available to Muslims than to Christians. One Christian in government service told me in confidence, that he was advised to become a Muslim in order to get promotion. Such marginalization is similarly found when it comes to awarding permits, contracts and scholarships.
The 1979 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria states: "We are firmly and solemnly resolved under God, that the government of the Federation or a State, shall not adopt any religion as state religion, and will encourage freedom of religion and freedom (either alone or in community with others, public or private) to manifest and propagate any religion or belief in worship, teaching practice and observance".
But it appears that this declaration is being read upside down by some religious zealots and religious leaders, who openly seek to use religion for political purposes. The main issue, now, is how to keep Nigeria together.
Nigerian Muslims have long been associated with the Arab world. Many of the Muslim Faithful have undertaken the Pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca. Several organisations, linking Nigerians and Arabs, have been established. For example, the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria held a conference at the University of Ibadan, attended by Muslim youths from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Pakistan, Ghana and The Gambia. The result was the foundation of an organisation called The International Islamic Federation of Students' Organisations.
Nigerian Christians now fear that the rich Arab countries will do everything in their power to convert non-Muslims to Islam. Because of the strong positions held by Muslims in Nigeria, Christians have always felt inferior. One evidence of this (in the south) is the disappearance on Biblical names given to children during naming ceremonies. And even in traditional society, Yoruba names are giving way to Arab names.
Attempts have been made to embark on some form of Islamic- Christian dialogue. Recently, an international conference on Christian-Muslim relations was held in Jos, under the chairmanship of Archbishop David L. Windibizir of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria. The conference was supported by the Christian Association of Nigeria, Jumaatil Nasil Islam, local and international organisations, Churches, scholars and participants from both the Christian and Muslim communities. The conference aimed at creating a form for mutual interaction, and for exchanging ideas on how to enhance understanding and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.
In its final communique, the conference dwelt extensively on the role religion can play in promoting peaceful co-existence. It issued a challenge to leaders of the Christian and Muslim communities to inculcate among their faithful, especially the youth, a spirit of love, friendship, patriotism, understanding, mutual respect and working together. Archbishop Windibizir concluded the proceedings by saying: "We have started a process which I trust will bring us closer to our goal, that we can get to the point where we can live together, work together and accept each other without suspicion or mistrust".
Dr Muhip Ofeloye feels that people must learn about each other's faith. He says: "We must learn to show tolerance and understanding when we write about other faiths, otherwise we are destroying the principle of dialogue".
Hajiya Fatima Othman, a Muslim, says: "We share one world, one country, one city, one village and one house. In most families in Nigeria, you will find a mixture of Christians and Muslims among their members, so why fight when we can share so much? Where lies the root causes of the present-day religious conflict? Certainly not in religion! Look first of all to the economy. When we had the oil boom, nobody thought about religious conflict, but now resources are meagre, everybody is trying to loot. People want to get what they can, and they do this using religion as an excuse to go about grabbing what they can. Secondly, our country's ethnic make-up has a part to play. Everybody wants his tribe to be in power. It's difficult to reach agreement when there are 400 language groups in the country!"
Most Nigerians are happy with an initiative like the Jos Conference. They believe that an attempt like this to seek reconciliation, will enhance a more purposeful direction for the country, especially now the military government is trying to preach the Gospel of Peace in the transition period to democratic rule.
END