By Ibrahiym A. El-Caleel
By the special grace of God, nothing shall befall the Imām of National Mosque, Professor Ibrahim Ahmad Maqari, for the calculated report published by Vanguard Newspapers. The media house submitted a report on the Sokoto incidence wherein they sandwiched truths, half-truths and micro-truths.
The Imām didn’t justify mob action anywhere in his tweets and Facebook posts. He only maintained that Muslims have redlines. Circumferential lines that shouldn’t be approached, lines that must not be crossed to disrespect their faiths. And this is both factual and non-negotiable. So, the Imām was very much on point. No amount of deliberate media intimidation can change this hard fact.
You may say the Imām was not making a personal statement. He was stating what is obtainable in the thoughts of every Muslim with some adequate knowledge of Islamic law. It is in the books of Islamic law.
Unfortunately, we are not seemingly ready to make progress on this recurrent problem. People are reiterating the measures that can be taken to avert future episodes of this issue, but no one is ready to listen. Instead, the suggestions are mischievously twisted to mean tacit justification for mob lynching. What sort of regressive society have we become? We prefer to dwell on polemical exchanges rather than orienting ourselves towards some mutual understanding. Between polemics and societal orientation, which paves the way for harmony in a plural society?
Muslims are saying blasphemy isn’t tolerated in Islam. When genuinely committed to the rights of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), the provision by Islamic law is execution. And in Qur’an Chapter 6, verse 108, Muslims are categorically prohibited from blaspheming anyone’s religion – be they Christians, Jews or Traditional Worshippers. It is not allowed in Islam. The Qur’an has warned about it. This prohibition was made so that no one blasphemes Islam out of revenge. By this, Islam respects the boundaries or redlines of every religion.
Are Christians saying that their religion encourages them to blaspheme Islam? Where was that stated in the Bible? I believe nowhere! This means it is purely an act of mischief for anyone to choose to make a living from ridiculing or blaspheming a Muslim’s faith since the instruction isn’t Biblical.
These are honest discussions that will promote harmony and give us some sanity. It will also give us a civil society. This is what a national mosque Imām, Professor Ibrahīm Maqari, says. He was not justifying mob action by any implication. So do not put words into his mouth, please. Vanguard Newspapers lied as usual. Barefaced. And this is not the first time they have submitted such a mischievous report whose jeopardizing tendencies they are underestimating.
But it is understandable since yellow journalists would always take pleasure in misfortunes like this. It gives them the advantage of selling volumes of papers and gathering traffic. Woe onto he who follows unethical methods to garner influence and gain income. Woe onto him!
Ibrahiym A. El-Caleel writes from Zaria and can be reached via caleel2009@gmail.com.
A lot of Nigerian Christian, not all, just want the Muslims to take Islamic religion the way they (the majority of the Christian) took their own religion, very lightly. They want the Muslims should always follow their footstep by doing what they feel like, not what their religion ordain to them. They want Muslims to joke with their religion just the way they do with theirs. They want Muslims to accept the bad side of western civilization just the way they do, by seeing no wrong in nudity, Drinking to stupor, eating prohibited things, nd a lot of sins, that they knows the bible forbid, which they partake in it, in the name of one should not be judgemental or there is no one without a sin. They have forgotten, in Islam we don’t compromise, our religion is always first, because it is what teaches us how to live our life. The best of life.
Yes, your religion of violence is always first. That is why you people have tolerated evil such as boko haram and bandits. This your religion that demands so much human blood is surely not from Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet never did any of these things you people are doing today. The religion of the Prophet is Peace. Your region is the most unpeaceful region. Your region is the place blood flows the most and you think your religion is the religion of Prophet Muhammad. You are just deceiving yourselves.