By Semiu A. Akanmu
Without
mincing words, the killing of the British soldier named Drummer Lee Rigby by a
Nigeria-descendant Briton; Micheal ‘Mujahid’ Adebolajo on the street of
Woolwich has opened another historic, though unfortunate page in the socio-political
directory of terrorism. Nigerians at home and in Diaspora through our cyber
spaced geographical entity have been analyzing, criticizing and diagnosing
Terrorism, Terrorists and the war on terror in view of the ugly but awakening
incidence. The unofficial ‘press statement’ made by this murderer and his ‘argument’
to justify this crime has undoubtedly and so expectedly took our mind to
Al-Qaedanism; the Machiavellian movement of Islamism.
The
Islamists in their reductionists’ view diminish Islam to Politics and Jihad;
they are otherwise called advocates of Political Islam. This parochial
perspective has made their approach to Jihad an infected methodology, opening
pores for penetrators to hijack their struggle, mis-direct their focus, and hence
invalidate the legitimacy of their advocacy.
Their mis-placed priority has always results in high level of thuggery,
brigandage and barbarism. This is one of the reasons why those who are well-
informed about their ills will not be caught with surprise when these so-called
Jihadists are found robbing and kidnapping. In view of the present
configuration of the global socio-political landscape, Muslims see
implementation of Shari’ah as an end from certain means like uncorrupted
evangelism of the message of Islam, healthy human relation and role modelling
for human emulation, while the Islamists believe in the use of force as the
only means to Shari’ah. The earlier they know the rate at which Muslims’ fold
in countries like Iran, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria and Pakistan is shrinking, while
that of countries like UK, USA, Canada, France and Australia is swelling, the
better for their sensibility.
The
new verge of our social discussion has passed a gauntlet unto us. This is a
non-evasive responsibility of educating people generally and Muslims
specifically about an adoptable classifying and separating tool to know and
tell people that Muslims are different from Islamists, while Islam and Islamism
are non-substitutes. While some of us are not comfortable with the
nomenclature, the reality that has caught up with us signals that we have been
heavily infiltrated internally and externally, and it is high time we stood up to
take our liability, and stop playing the blame trade games.
Though,
suggesting ‘Burdens on Muslims’ will be a better caption to Kila’s essay titled
‘The Burden of Islam’, I cannot do but to agree with Kila’s submission. Muslims
must know there is a burden on them. There is a burden of re-educating and
re-orientating, an assignment of renaissance consciousness of enhancing our
emotional intelligence. We cannot be responding violently to provocation either
in the name of blasphemy or injustice. The buccaneers and vampires among us:
from Al-Shabab in Somalia, all franchises and network of Al-Qaeda globally, our
own dreadful Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria to the self-determining
secessionists like Moro Front in Southern Philippine, the local militant group
of Narathiwar in Southern Thailand, Tuareg rebels in Northern Mali should spare
us this shame. Your political interest and economy-driven struggle should be
pursued without hanging on the name of Islam what so ever. Abu Aaliyah has put
it so aptly that “Terrorism is to Jihad as Adultery is to Marriage”. I am not
of the training to delve into issues of core Islamic Jurisprudence, but those
who wish to know so as to ascertain the thin line could link it up here.
As
the horrific and sadistic Woolwich killing came in, the most embarrassing and
utter display of effrontery is the reactionary conspiracy theory that intend to
disregard and falsify that an insane walking stock has dragged our identity
once again in mud. In spite of the fact that this claim did not emanate from
UK-based Muslims, but the rate at which folks in Nigeria are sharing and
referring to Femi Fani-Kayode’s Illuminati-linked conspiracy is not only
disappointing, it further tells the extent at which we have allowed emotional
attachment to our faith to veil our reasoning arsenal. Those who know FFK’s
public commentaries’ history will not deny the fact that he is lost in the
wilderness of metaphysics, mysticism and mythology. I was expecting the same
bashing he received when he said Obama is an anti-Christ, and thus responsible
for the experience of hurricane disaster in the United States, but the
different reaction to similar illogical submission shows how dependent minded our
reasoning have become. We need to ask cogent questions as reliability tests for
these claims: even if the killing that was not denied by members of the
murderer’s family and the Britain Muslims’ community was stage-managed, were Michael’s
participation in protests, previous encounter with police, his travelling to
Kenya expected as en route to Somalia stage managed? Such cheap and feeble conspiratorial theories
can only sell to those who have allowed sentiment to paddle their cerebral boat.
This conspiracy theory is an illusion!!
That
is that as it is. If we will not be suffering from reasoning and judgemental
amnesia, we have to look critically, we owe our conscience the need to view in
holistic, the cause and effect forces that are interplaying in this much touted
terrorism, terrorists and war on terror. Sanusi Lamido and Bill Clinton must be
judging with economy specificity when they thinly analyzed and linked Nigeria’s
religious crisis to deprivation, poverty and unemployment. This submission is
too shallow to proffer lasting solution to the country’s socio-economic life
that had been short-changed with killing, maiming and destruction of property.
In
June, 2012, I conceptualised the nation’s religious crisis into a researchable model,
where I elicited religious misconception, religious mal-admonishment and religious
bigotry as dependent variables that cause religious crisis (Independent
variable). Though, I created a link from religious mal-admonishment to
religious misconception, religious bigotry is a trait that is naturally
developed by some social extraneous variables like arrogance, egocentrism and
unhealthy rivalry. It is on this note, I supported and still supporting
Religious speech censorship. Hate preaching that is capable of inciting
violence should be outlawed, and defaulters must be severely punished. There is
always a price for peace.
On
the other hand, I elicited perceived injustice, poverty, education and
political plot as moderating variables. If not for poverty and lack of
education, the demented brains called Boko Haram would not have found such
fertile land of recruiting their foot soldiers. Reports in the media now and
before showed that many of these so-called Jihadists are after pecuniary
advantages. My personal encounters with Somalians, Yemenis and Iraqis have
further cemented this opinion that materialism is always the next driving force
when brainwashing falls unsuccessfully.
We cannot erode perceived injustice and political plot in this causal
framework. The self-confession made by Hillary Clinton that the ‘Mujahideen’
are created by them in this video is just one out of numerous accounts that have implicated the Western
world in the woes of these troubling countries. CIA and the Third world: A Study in Cryptodiplomacy by Satish Kumar and The
Third World Calamities by May Brian are few of the good reads for those who
want to know how the grip of the western imperialists’ forces work. Just as I
have argued in some of my writings, there is possibility of being used and
thinking you are still on just own self-defined struggle, not knowing it is
serving the purpose of some invincible and invisible hands. These hands are
controlling the press, and the discrimination in news reportage is certainly one
of the perceived injustices.
Perceived injustices or injustices concretely cannot be downplayed as a
factor fuelling religious crisis. The double standard in the public appraisal,
the stereotypic handling and stigmatization of Muslims are second to none: from
the press to how the public see issues that affect them. The cold reception
that greeted the genocide of about 2,500 Bangladeshi Muslims and thousands Rohiggya
Muslims massacred by the Buddhists cannibals is a pointer to this selective
condemnation.
We cannot be sincere and serious about ending
religious crisis while injustice still prevails. Invasion of sovereign
countries to unseat legitimate governments because of flimsy and non-existing
excuses have been a tool of igniting the zeal of Islamism. The occupation by
the western imperialist forces, raping women, killing children and looting
their treasury are enough to whim sympathy and subsequently enhance suicide
bombers’ recruitment. It will be a mere lip service in our quest for peaceful
co-existence if this conundrum is not given a holistic assessment and full
fledge medication. Peace is not the absence of war, but the presence of justice.
Having said this, to say the war on terror has become the war of terror
is not off track. It will only be joining those voices that have been able to
see beyond their noses. Glenn Greenwald reported Michael Moore to have said
that: “I am outraged that we can't kill people
in other counties without them trying to kill us!”. Following the link will certainly inform any discerning readers that
U.S and allies are imperialists who are only interested in subjugating the
economic might of the countries invaded. However, the so-called ‘Mujahideen’ in
their arrogant claiming of the September 9/11, 2001 WTC bombing has made the
continuous invasion a justifiable acts in the eyes of the majority. The
influence of press in this regard, cannot be under-estimated.
In as much as sane minds must condemn the Woolwich killing in strong
terms and discard any attempt by conspiracy theorists to make it a hoax, ending
religious crisis or religion-induced killing must be apprehended within the
comprehensive framework as suggested. Muslims must intensify their efforts in
re-presenting the ideals of Islam that is devoid of emotional laxity. The
public must be wary of taking sides hastily going by what they are fed with by
the media. The bell of justice has neither relative nor families; it must be
rung where injustice is found. Doing this is the only way to deter the whole
world from going blind.
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