Religion is the all-time mirror of life through which humanity seek to encounter God; and, His manifestation in fulfillment of happiness in lifespan of mankind in pursuit of destiny.
Every religion therefore carries the marks of the era of its founding; an era defined by rousing practices that eventually turn out as primitive by successive eras due to evolving nature of civilization and concomitant impact on knowledge. Primeval Judaism, when read through contemporary eyes of modern civilization, would appear severe, perverse, territorial and at times violent. Yet, it is all about civilisation that has evolved and revelation that has deepened.
The emergence of Christianity is linked to the arrival of Jesus Christ, which stirred and steered a civilisational reform and not a doctrinal rebellion. Jesus Christ corrected the practices of humanity’s efforts in seeking to understand God by elevating the moral logic of religious practices:
- He replaced retaliatory justice with restorative grace; and, away from the practice of “an eye for an eye” to forgiveness, blessings and love of a neighbor as oneself.
- He redefined God from tribal ownership to universal Fatherhood, placing Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles and social outcasts on equal footing with the religious elite. In a nutshell, Jesus Christ did not abolish the old; He refined it, humanised it and civilised it for the good of mankind to serve God.
The question before the world today is not whether other religious doctrines such as in Islam are guided by sacred texts, prophets and traditions; they obviously have it. The real question is: where is the moral bearing of Islamic scholars who will help Islam interpret its rousing ancient instructions in the light of modern civilisation akin to the way Christ did for Judaism to roused Christianity, which makes love of God as the greatest of Christian religious practices.
Yet, when Islam beacons ‘peace’ as the cardinal Islamic practice in reverence to God, it should not simultaneously weaponise the same reverence as one of perpetual war for “God” by its adherents over non-adherents.
THE CONTRADICTION IN ISLAM; AS PREACHED Vs AS PRACTISED
Islam is not monolithic. It exists in multiple territorial expressions of prevailing civilisation:
The Middle Eastern Model of Islam, especially in Saudi Arabia that is birthplace of Islam, expelled and deported Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad Gumi for fraternal disposition with terror networks. Generally, UAE and Qatar operate some of the world’s toughest anti-terror frameworks. In the Middle East, Churches are protected; Christian worship is secured; Islamic extremists are neutralised on sight. The law will break any citizen who dares to kill another screaming “Allahu Akbar” This is Islam in its modern, civil, state-regulated form.
The Nigerian Model of Islamic practice tolerates extremist preaching under vague “freedom of religion.” Terrorists are negotiated with, justified, or quietly enabled. Clerics with global extremist links roam freely. Attacks carried out under religious slogans of “Allahu Akbar” rarely attract arrests, much less convictions. The same Sheikh Gumi rejected by Saudi is granted legitimacy in Nigeria as “negotiator-in-chief.” Is it Islam that is contradictory or it is the selective, unsupervised, unregulated version we choose to accept.
A CASE IN POINT: TWO MUSLIMS, ONE CHOICE
When the attempt of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to bomb a passenger aircraft failed, the report of investigations revealed that one of the extremist influences in the boy’s ideological journey was traced to conversations involving Sheikh Gumi, the same man celebrated by some Nigerian elites as a mediator.
Yet, the radical tendencies of Umar Farouk had previously been reported to the authorities by his father, a respectable Muslim, demonstrating Islam at its best as being responsible, protective, principled. This contrast is the essence of the problem: two Muslims, two mindsets in which one preserves life while the other excuses violence.
THE DECISION BEFORE MUSLIMS IN NIGERIA
There are only two options: to practice Islam that has adapted to civilisation such as in the Islam of UAE, Qatar, Morocco, Oman, Jordan, and a reforming Saudi Arabia. Otherwise, it shall be Islam that is trapped in ancient interpretations of Islam of Boko Haram, ISIS, AQIM, and their intellectual supporters in over 143 terror cells in the global arena, sadly, 22 of which are in Nigeria. Both modern and ancient practices of Islam cannot coexist peacefully within one country;one leads to national development while the other leads to national decay.
WHAT A MODERN ISLAMIC REFORM WOULD REQUIRE
Islam does not expect a new prophet; but it urgently needs new interpreters, new jurists, new courage, and new honesty. A peaceful insidious Islamic revolution would focus on theological re-education that teach jihad as a personal moral struggle, not violence. Secondly, teach Islamic adherents that the sanctity of all human life, irrespective of belief, is divine. In addition, teach Muslims that the laws of statehood entities or countries supersede individual religious interpretations. Finally, teach Muslims that disagreement is not a license for violence but that grievance handling must adhere to due process of the secular laws of statehood.
State Enforcement
Nigeria must adopt the Middle Eastern security model: no negotiation with terrorists; ban extremist preaching; enforce hate-speech laws on religious grounds; prosecute clerics whose sermons incite death. If UAE can protect its Christian communities, why can’t Nigeria protect its Muslim and Christian communities alike?
Institutional Accountability
Officials of public facilities such as Mosques, schools, etc including heads of families must mirror Mutallab’s courage: detect radicalisation early and expose it before it becomes a tragedy.
Intellectual Honesty
Muslims who love their faith must admit that extremism is not a foreign creation but a domestic manipulation of sacred texts, and, must be confronted from within.
THE FUTURE OF ISLAM IN AFRICA: BURIAL OR REBIRTH?
Every religion has survived only by evolving: Judaism moved from tribal war to rabbinic ethics. Christianity moved from inquisitional errors to human rights leadership. Buddhism and Hinduism reformed their internal contradictions. Islam must make its own civilisational turn. The choice is stark: Will Islam in Africa be buried under the weight of extremist misinterpretations? Or will it rise into a new age of peace, scholarship, justice, and civilisation?- The God of heaven cannot be both the author of peace and the architect of blood. The contradiction in any religion such as in Islam is not divine but it is human; and humanity can change it for the public good of mankind.
Citizen Bolaji O. Akinyemi
Founding President, PVC-Naija
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Apostle & Nation Builder
Dr. Bolaji O. Akinyemi is an Apostle and Nation Builder. He’s also President Voice of His Word Ministries and Convener Apostolic Round Table. BoT Chairman, Project Victory Call Initiative, AKA PVC Naija. He is a strategic Communicator and the C.E.O, Masterbuilder Communications.
Email:bolajiakinyemi66@gmail.com
X:Bolaji O Akinyemi
Instagram:bolajioakinyemi
Phone:+2348033041236
