By Babatunde Jose
Recently, the country has been entangled in a controversy over allegations of persecution of Christians. Like in many other regions of the world, many of our difficulties mask a deeper spiritual crisis. During the twentieth century, we saw the eruption of violence on an unprecedented scale. Sadly, our ability to harm and mutilate one another has kept pace with our extraordinary economic and scientific progress.
We seem to lack the wisdom to hold our aggression in check and keep it within safe and appropriate bounds. The explosion of the first atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki laid bare the nihilistic self-destruction at the heart of the brilliant achievements of our modern culture. Here in this clime the ubiquitous cattle Fulani and their sanda have been suddenly transformed into wielding military-grade weaponry. What’s going on?
Auschwitz, Rwanda, Bosnia, and the destruction of the World Trade Center were all dark epiphanies that revealed what can happen when the sense of the sacred inviolability of every single human being has been lost.
Religion, which is supposed to help us to cultivate this sense of sacredness often, seems to have lost its influence. Almost every day we see examples of religiously motivated terrorism, hatred, and intolerance. We all look for moments of ecstasy and rapture, when we inhabit our humanity more fully than usual and feel deeply touched within and lifted momentarily beyond ourselves.
In recent decades, there has been a spiritual revival in many parts of the world, and the militant piety that we often call “fundamentalism” is only one manifestation of our postmodern search for enlightenment. This trend is very much pronounced in our clime: Especially since the dawn of the Islamic fundamentalist group Boko Haram and others.
It is frequently assumed, for example, that faith is a matter of believing certain creedal propositions. Indeed, it is common to call religious people “believers,” as though assenting to the articles of faith were their chief activity.
What matteres is not what you believe but how you behave. Religion is about doing things that change you at a profound level. The only way you could encounter what they call “God,” “Nirvana,” “Brahman,” or the “Way” is to live a compassionate life. Indeed, religion is compassion.
Religion which ought to bring some temperance into the political atmosphere and check the utterances and behaviors of political players has sadly failed. Rather, religion has formed an alliance with the political actors and in the process the conscience of the people has been killed.
In the Nigerian setting, it has been a catalogue of conflicts, bloodshed, lootings and all kinds of exploitation. This seems to confirm the Marxist perspective on religion. Lenin writes: Religion is one of the forms of spiritual oppression which everywhere weighs heavily upon the masses of the people over–burdened by their perpetual work for others, by want and isolation. . . . those who live by the labour of others are taught by religion to practice charity while on earth, thus offering them a cheap way of justifying their existence as exploiters. Religion is the opium for the people. Religion is a sort of spiritual booze in which the slaves of capital drown their human image, their demand for a life more or less worthy of man.
According to A.C. Bouquet, Religion is a fixed relationship between the human entity, the sacred, the supernatural, the self-existent, the absolute or simply God. (J.I. Omoregbe, A Philosophical Look at Religion. Lagos: 1993).
However, religion could be seen as human activities manifesting through beliefs and ritual practices in response to the Super-sensible Being, believed to exist.
Seeing as it were that man is homo politicus and at the same time homo religio, it follows that we cannot do without politics as well as religion in our everyday life. Therefore, we tend to politicize religion and religionize politics. Mixing the two however makes religion lose its sacredness and it becomes a lethal weapon.
This is the reality of our post-colonial state, particularly the capture and control of state power by a self-centered and divided political class. They whip up religious sentiments, weaponizing it and accentuating its divisive tendencies. Hence, almost all political actions are seen through the prism of religion.
The Boko Haram issue is also a good example. These misguided terrorists and their local and international sponsors have continued to wreak havoc on our society, killing, kidnapping and maiming, regardless of the religious affiliation of their victims. Yet, they have been seen as an arm of a wider Islamic tendency to Islamize the country. Interestingly, Boko Haram has refused to travel across the Niger or Benue rivers. It’s supposed Islamization has been localized to the predominantly Muslim North! Islamizing wetin?
Today, the politics of religious identification and affiliation now revolves around the religious inclination of the political leadership of the country. Hence, Muslims identify with a Moslem president and support him regardless of policy issues. This was also the case of the massive support of the Christian community for the presidency of Obasanjo and Jonathan: And the apogee of CAN in Nigerian politics.
It is, however, inconceivable and an over-stretch of the imagination bordering on incredulity for anyone to say that a President harbors an agenda to Islamize or Christianize Nigeria, the days of Jihad and Missionary Evangelism have passed. It is now all about money.
Religion and politics some may argue should not mix but it is obvious that religion cannot be divorced from politics; especially in a society where political leadership finds it very convenient to hide under the umbrella of religion. There is no doubt, as Prof Ali Mazrui noted:
In those African countries, where Islam is in serious competition with Christianity and both are politicized, the two creeds become divisive rather than unifying, destabilizing rather than legitimizing. Where religion reinforces ethnic differences on regional variation, governments become less stable rather than more… On the whole, the two Semitic religions in Nigeria, Christianity and Islam reinforce regional and ethnic differences, and make stability more difficult. (Mazrui, A.A. (1996) “Military Intervention in African Politics”. In Ralph Uwechue (ed), Africa Today. Third Edition. United Kingdom)
The ferocious gyration of Nigerians about religious matters which will not be replicated when it comes to national interest has weakened the Nigerian state. A survey of ethno-religious crisis in Nigeria reveals that blood of innocent Nigerians are shed and properties destroyed on account of this passion, fervor, emotional and emotive reactions, moral certitude, and religiosity. (Ojo, E.O. (2006) “A Survey of Ethno-Religious Crisis in Nigeria and its implication for Democracy” in Ojo, E.O. (ed). Challenges of Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria; Ibadan).
The political class cannot exonerate itself from the present predicament of Nigeria. A lot of useful energy is diverted to building religious sentiment. Rather than mobilize Nigerians to their cause as politicians, the new political elites are busy mobilizing their religious constituencies for a war against one another. With religion generating so much passion, the polarization of the nation has found full expression as the country is finally pitched as a battleground between Christians and Muslims.
“Religion does not make people good or bad. On the contrary, it is being used as an instrument of oppression and deceit in Nigeria. It appears that Nigerians have resigned themselves to fate, and this is possibly further compounded by poverty, illiteracy, and lack of political education on the part of the majority.” (Egbewole, W. O., and Etudaiye, M. A. (2011). Religion, Politics and Justice: Interplay of Forces in Nigeria).
The manipulation of religion by some powerful individuals who hide under the guise of religion to pursue selfish interests, and the greed and avariciousness of some religious leaders who patronize corrupt rulers remains part of the negative effects of religion on the polity.
Efforts by Nigerian politicians to gain ascendancy and power have led to a situation in which politics have swept away sacred precepts of religion, and in the process, contaminated the hearts of people with bitterness and enmity for the religion of others.
“The effect of religion on politics all over the world is bifocal, in the sense that it is both positive and negative. It is positive in the sense that religion, as earlier identified, is value-driven and it naturally robs off on the polity through the participation of ardent religious believers. The negative effect could be deciphered from the perspective of sectarian tendency; where religious bigots do anything in the name of religion to ensure that positions or offices are gained by their adherents. Such people stand on the position that their ideals and beliefs dominate any environment they find themselves in.” (New York Times, 2005).
Unfortunately, the North has always been the bedrock of religious crisis. Since 1992, over tens of thousands of people have died from communal-religious conflicts. Plateau, Benue, Taraba, Borno, and Kaduna States constitute the highest figure of casualties. In recent years, incidents of Christian/Muslim violence have become more frequent and bloodier.
Insecurity in Northern Nigeria has reached alarming levels, driven by a complex interplay of socio-economic, political, and structural factors, leading to significant loss of life and widespread suffering. The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, reported that over 47,000 lives were lost to insecurity in the North before the current administration took office, highlighting the dire state of security in the region.
The insecurity in Northern Nigeria is attributed to several interrelated factors, including: High levels of poverty and unemployment have fueled discontent and violence, particularly among the youth.
The region is plagued by ethno-religious violence and land-related conflicts, which often result in killings and displacements.
Corruption and ineffective governance have exacerbated the security situation, leading to a lack of trust in government institutions.
The activities of groups like Boko Haram and other bandits, have intensified insecurity, with Boko Haram alone accounting for over 35,000 deaths in the North-East.
The consequences of this insecurity are profound, affecting various aspects of life in Northern Nigeria: Millions have been displaced from their homes due to violence, leading to a humanitarian crisis.
Insecurity has disrupted local economies, leading to food shortages and loss of livelihoods. Many children have been forced out of school due to the violence, further perpetuating the cycle of poverty and insecurity.
To address the insecurity in Northern Nigeria, experts recommend strengthening security institutions including improving the capacity and effectiveness of security forces to combat violence.
Need to encourage community-led peace building initiatives to foster trust and cooperation among different groups.
Initiate economic development issues such as investing in entrepreneurship and job creation to alleviate poverty and reduce the appeal of militant groups.
In conclusion, the insecurity in Northern Nigeria and Nigeria as a whole is a multifaceted issue that requires urgent and comprehensive action from both the government and local communities to restore peace and stability. But, it is not a religious issue. Ethnicity and religion have a curious mix in the matter.
Guide us to the straight path. The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray. (Quran 1:6-7)
Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, I wish to thank Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala for His Grace and mercies. Next week, Thursday 25th December, our brother Babatunde Jose will add another year to his sojourn on this earth. Alhamdulillah, he will turn 76; going up in the evening of life. May it please Allah to bless the new age and may his days be long in good health. Every waking day, we move nearer the grave. May Allah teach us how to number our days and guide us into living a righteous life. For those who have walked with me this far, I thank you all, may Allah accept our prayers and supplications. It is well, even in the well!
Babatunde Jose – +234 803 311 0822
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