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Northern CAN warns against religious war as
el-Zakzaky, ACF condemn Xmas Day bomb blasts
Newsdiaryonline Mon Dec 26,2011
Madalla blast
Apparently tension is mounting over the
Christmas Day bomb blasts as
the blame game has started amid calls for arrest and
prosecution of perpetrators .Today, The Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN) in the north and Abuja has indicted the Federal
Government over Sunday’s bomb attacks at the Saint Theresa
Church, Madalla, near Abuja and the Mountain of Fire Church, Jos,
saying that government knows the perpetrators and sponsors of
the dastardly acts but has failed to take decisive actions to
check the recurrent attacks.
CAN
in a press statement in Kaduna today, regretted that religious
war is imminent in the country and that Nigeria may not be able
to survive it. CAN’s
reaction comes on the heels of a pronouncement by the leader of
the Muslim Brotherhood Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim
Zakzaky, condemning the bomb blasts noting that such attack
on places of worship is
ungodly and an act of sheer wickedness.
In its statement
CAN warned that
Christians in the area would henceforth design appropriate
measures to defend themselves in the face of what the group
described as provocative and wanton destruction of lives and
property.The statement signed by CAN Secretary, Elder Saidu Dogo
said, “we shall henceforth in the midst of these provocations
and wanton destruction of innocent lives and property be
compelled to make our own efforts and arrangements to protect
the lives of innocent Christians and peace loving citizens of
this country.
“We are therefore calling on all Christians
to be law abiding but defend themselves whenever the need
arises.
“The Federal and state governments of
Niger, Plateau, Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and
such other areas that these wanton destruction of lives and
property have been or are being perpetrated, should arrest and
bring to book all the perpetrators and their sponsors.
“Government at all levels should provide 24
hours security services to all churches, Christian Religious
Institutions and organizations in the county, especially in the
north.
“We are also calling on the federal and
state governments to urgently stem these massacres of Christians
and the destruction of their churches and property in the north.
“The attacks so far have proved that some
Islamic fundamentalists want to exterminate Christianity in the
northern states.
“We are assuring all Christians that the
church will not allow that to happen. We are therefore calling
on the Muslim Umma and Ulamas in Nigeria to live up to their
responsibilities by calling to order all Islamic sects in the
country to have respect for human lives and stop these killings.
“For, we fear that the situation may
degenerate to a religious war and Nigeria may not be able to
survive one. Once again enough is enough.
“Finally, we call on all Christians in the
north to remain calm, watchful, prayerful, and peaceful but act
wisely to protect themselves and property as each situation
dictates.”
Zakzaky, in a message he sent when a
delegation of the Muslim Brotherhood Movement visited the Kaduna
state Special Adviser on Religious Affairs (Christian Matters)
Rev. John Joseph Hayab, described Islam as a religion of peace
and service to Allah and mankind.
According to the Muslim cleric, “peace is
paramount and we need peace as basis of our lives, killings and
damaging ourselves are not good for us.
“Killing of people is not unjustifiable and
killing is not in our religion and we must chart a new course
for our society.”
“Cooperation from Christians and Muslim is
needed towards attaining purposeful understanding and
integration.”
Responding, Hayab noted that Nigeria is
going through what he described as national challenges.
According to him, “we are in critical times
of our nation and in our lives as Nigerians, we must work for
peace, violence is not answer and solution to challenges.
“We must work hard and commit our nation to
genuine prayers, prayers is key to every challenge we are going
through.”
Also reacting, the Arewa Consultative Forum
(ACF) described Sunday’s attacks as misguided destruction of
lives and property.
The ACF in a press statement by its
national Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani, said that, “the
spate of bomb blasts on Christmas day which were directed at
places of worship across some parts of the north is a serious
source of concern to the Arewa Consultative Forum, to northern
leaders and to the good people of the north. “It is a source of
concern, not because past bombings were less serious but because
those on Christmas day are capable of diverting attention to
religious crises that would serve no one, including the
perpetrators, any good now and for a long time to come.
“Consequently, ACF calls on the
perpetrators of violence to stop forthwith and avail themselves
the due process of addressing perceived grievances that are in
place.
“The ACF also wishes to say that killing of innocent Nigerians
is not correct and offends God and many people's sense of
justice.
“This is because a good number of those who
go to places of worship are not lettered in either Western or
Islamic education.
“More so that Western education is not
necessarily the cause of the collapse of national ideals, moral
values and cause of indiscipline in the polity, since there are
examples of Muslim countries and Christian countries with
Western education that are morally sound.
“Turkey belongs to the former and Nordic
country of Norway belongs to the later. Nigerians of all faiths
must therefore come together and confront corruption in all
ramifications by inspiring cultural renaissance for collective
good.
“Corruption in Nigeria is not an exclusive
preserve of Western education but a national malaise that should
be confronted by all, and not government alone and enough of the
bombings and killing of innocent Nigerians.”
This is the document referred to in the WitnessStatement on Oath of Clifford O. Kokogho
Exhibit
CO
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