Recently, the United States ambassador, James Entwistle, warned Nigeria against using religion for political or pecuniary purpose. He warned that violence and hatred cannot be justified by any religion and that every religion preaches peace and respect for the sanctity of human life. Only last month, the archbishop of Jos, Ignatius Kaigama, advised President Jonathan to stop making policy statements in churches. He urged politicians to go and meet the people in rural areas, where they are living in dire needs.
We applaud the comments of the US ambassador. Also, we are aware that the US is keenly watching our democratic process, which, if all goes well, will serve as a model for other countries in Africa. Democracy has no room for religious intolerance or ethnic hatred; it demands a level-playing field where individual equality is supreme. President Jonathan has been attending Sunday services regularly in different churches in Abuja. Apart from preaching the words of the gospel, he sometimes makes important policy statements there. At the end of it all, people tend to mix up these messages, which inadvertently send the wrong signal to different sections of the country. The archbishop’s comment is therefore timely and appropriate; coming from a respected member of the clergy, Jonathan and indeed all politicians should heed his warning.
Nigeria as a country of cultural multiplicity has always been polarised along ethnic and religious lines, especially in the north and particularly in Kaduna, Nassarawa, Plateau, Taraba and Adamawa states where the Muslim and Christian parity is almost even. These cleavages were further emphasised during the 2011 election, when Kaduna State was mired in a terrible orgy of death and violence due to the gubernatorial election which pitted a Muslim candidate against a Christian candidate. At the end of the election, after the dust had settled, more than one thousand people lost their lives and thousands more were rendered homeless. Politicians poison the minds of the people for their own selfish purpose. What matters most to them is that they win at all cost.
We are gradually witnessing the unfolding tragic drama in Central African Republic where politics is being played along religions lines on a grand scale. The country is turning into a cesspool of death and destruction similar to what happened in Rwanda 20 years ago. We don’t want this to happen in Nigeria.
As the 2015 election draws near, real politics will soon start; we are therefore sending a word of warning to politicians and all Nigerians in general to ensure that the democratic process is not riddled with religious intolerance and bigotry that could further widen the deep cleavages that exist. We urge our security agencies to closely monitor the activities of religious bodies. All clerics who preach hate messages that will likely lead to violence during the 2015 election should be watched and if necessary banned.
by Jillur Rahman
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