Boko Haram and the Northern Elite

``The Truth is that the story of the Muslim (Ummah) of Nigeria has become synonymous with poverty, illiteracy and squalor and wasted opportunities while some amongst us live amidst plenty, the majority of us live in abject poverty.’’

--- Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, Kano state governor  at the opening of the first Nigerian Islamic summit on June 29, 2009).

The recent religious uprising in some parts of northern states has baffled me and I was traumatized for the occurrence of such happening because it displayed or exposed the lapses of northern leaders for their failure to salvage the region from its predicaments that it suffers for decades.

The religious mayhem that took it course last week was strongly against the teachings of Islam. Because, Islam does not at all preaches enmity, hatred, violence and negligence by the leaders of the mandate and trust bestowed on them.

 Islam is word derived from one of the names of God `Salam’ which means Peace. Islam is not only a religion but also a universal civilization and natural way of living. The doctrines of Islam inspires Mankind with ideals of love, obedience, truthfulness, kindness, tolerance, understanding, humility, politeness and the struggle of common goal and pursue of education among others.  

The point in time, the  Borno, Bauchi, Wudil etc religious havoc  was truly due to poor leadership which was attributed  to  lack of giving qualitative and free education, lack of societal security, abject poverty, job opportunities and selfish interest, corporal desire, infatuation, covetousness  and I don’t care attitudes by the elites of the region. 

In line with our discussions, I am of the opinion to disqualified and disagree with that declaration and believe of those that undermined the call by Islam to  Muslims seek for knowledge or   Islam ignores Western education. Islam and Islamic countries have contributed greatly to the world civilization. The first thing God created was pen. Pen stands for or entails reading and writing. Also the first commandment by God to Prophet of Islam Muhammad (P.B.U.H) through Angel Gabriel (Jibril) was to read.

So, Islam emphasizes the pursuit of knowledge through any other means, acquisition or struggle of knowledge is where we northern Nigerian lag behind. It is because of lack of education and abject poverty resulted to what has happened in northern states.

The standard of education is very low and ignorance level is very high, and it was attributed to abject poverty and lack of given priority to educational sector that is why you can not compare Nigeria with Western world because more than 26 per cent of their budget goes to educational sector with strong believes that education is one of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua seven points agenda that has no focus at all.

Education is the key to enhancing the capacity of human as individuals and as a resource for peaceful coexistence, mutual understanding and for national development as a whole. To be candid, northern Nigeria is lagging behind in almost all the human  Endeavour’s.Truly since the demise of Sardauna , Premier of northern region and other leaders of the first republic, our region has not had genuine leadership that committed itself to uplifting the standard of living of the poor masses.  

To this end, the Northern leaders, Royal Fathers, Elites, Scholars, Religious leaders, Business men etc all hands must be on desk to go back to drawing board in reorienting the people, restructuring the Islamic schools (Tsangaya), checkmate the activities of any religious sects,  implementation of a programme to realign the world view and moral values of the society in Islamic context, eradicate poverty, provide job opportunities to mention but few. If the above mention were not considered, may be such of it kinds may surface some where, some how. May God forbid and protect.  

Bear in mind that , a leader is expected to have genuine concern of the miseries, hardship, condition and welfare and well being of his people and humanity in general. The care of human lives, progress and happiness and not their exploit, anguish is the only legitimate object of any good government or leader.

On the side of moral  virtues, Islam and Christianity  teaches Justice, honesty, commitment, courage, bravery and truthfulness have always elicited praise and history does not at all record any period worth the name in which falsehood, selfish, injustice, dishonesty, neglect, I don’t care attitude, greed,  breach of trust, ignorance many have been upheld.

Love, tolerance, patience, fellow feeling of compassion, fidelity, boldness, generosity, politeness and magnanimity have always been valued, appreciated and cherished, most especially shown or demonstrated by a leader, while cruelty, destitution, selfishness and bigotry have never received the approbation in  the human society.

People have always appreciated perseverance, determination and courage and have never approved feeblemindedness, cowardice and imbecility. Restraint, stateliness, graciousness, unfussiness, humbleness, agreeableness have counted among virtues, whereas snobbishness, carelessness, rudeness, delinquency, malingering have never found recognition as good moral qualities.

Person having a sense of maturity, understand and devotion to duty and commitment to responsibilities have always get the highest regard, respect, prayers, consideration of people, like the premier of northern region late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir, Ahmadu Bello {Now rested} receives on daily basis. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.

“No body has ever been honoured for what he receives but rather what he gives”

The life of this universe glides on an unstable plane. Some people may however go through discontinuous condition of prosperity and paucity, health and sickness, gladness and sadness, boom and gloom and so on and so post. Alas! All the above mentioned they indicates or represents actual form or nature of human life.

Finally, Am appealing to  the  Christians and Muslims in general,  to be steady in prayers for peace to reign  in our blessed country Nigeria to have good leaders , those that can conduct  free and fair election that will enable us to have  peaceful coexistence, mutual understanding, societal changes, political stability and national development. May God help us and guide us aright.

Adamu Muh’d Usman

Kafin-Hausa, Jigawa State

Robot  # 1 | 29.08.2009 12:13

...Read the full article.

Bamaguje  # 2 | 29.08.2009 17:44

=Adamu Usman;384655>Islam is word derived from one of the names of God `Salam’ which means Peace. This is Taqiyya (deception) spin. Islam means "surrender", not peace. Peace is "salam". "Surrender" underscores the Islamist militarist agenda for world domination. Hence the Quran enjoins Muslims to wage war against we infidels until Muslims rule the entire world: O Believers (Muslims) make war on infidels (non-Muslims) who dwell around you - Quran 9:123 When the sacred months are over kill the unbelievers wherever you find them - Quran 9:5. Thus Muslims divide the world into two - Muslim territory (Dar ul Islam) and non-Muslim territory (Dar ul harb - land of war). In order words, doctrinally Muslims are perpertually at war with non-Muslims. This is also why Islam enjoins Muslims to kill ex-Muslims who leave Islam. These apostates are considered traitors who have defected to join the Muslims with whom Muslims are at war. So all that crap about Islam being about love, kindness, tolerance is utter bullshit. Believers take neither Jews nor Christians for friends or helpers - Quran 5:51 Let not the believers take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers - Quran 3:28. =Adamu Usman;384655>the first commandment by God to Prophet of Islam Muhammad (P.B.U.H) through Angel Gabriel (Jibril) was to read. According to Islamic historical tradition, Jibril instructed Mohammed "Ikraah". Ikraah in Arabic means "read" or "recite" or "repeat after me". The context in which Jibril commanded Mohammed meant "recite" not "read", for the simple reason that Jibril did not give Mohammed any paper or book to read from. Furthermore, Muslims claim Mohammed was an illiterate and could not read, making Jibril's purported order for Mo' to read even more meaningless. Instead Jibril recited verses to Mohammed, which Mo' later recited (or repeated) to his followers who then wrote it down as the Quran. That's how the entire Quran was purportedly written. =Adamu Usman;384655>It is because of lack of education and abject poverty resulted to what has happened in northern states. It is because of Islam, that the North is backward. Islam is the major reason why millions in the core North continue to reject secular education. Islam is the reason northerners refuse polio vacination as Islamic clerics spread paranoid conspiracy theories. Consequently Nigeria has been a major stumbling block to global polio erradication. Islam is the reason for the VVF (vesico-vaginal fistula) epidemic in the North that is destroying the lives of our underage daughters who are married off before they reach puberty...as Muslims emulate their paedophile prophet whose favorite sexual partner was his 9 year old "wife" - Aisha. Islamic violence and intolerance has also made Arewa unattractive for the much needed investment required to end our economic dependence on the South.