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PEOPLE AND POLITICS BY MOHAMMED HARUNA Bishop Kukah’s attack on Islam, my conditional cease-fire I am dedicating today’s column to readers’ comments on my last four articles on these pages, but largely to those – about 200 texts and over a dozen emails - generated by what Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, Trust’s Friday back-page columnist, says is the “quarrel” between me and Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah over what I’ve said is his persistent attack against Islam and Muslims. Hopefully, this should answer the plea of the last two respondents on these pages for a “cessation of hostilities,” as Chief Loretta Aniagolu, a leading business consultant and Enugu based politician, put it. I do have my doubts though that the hostilities will cease, if only because the Bishop decided to up the ante only last Saturday by his open letter to the late Sardauna, whose cold-blooded murder as Premier of Northern Nigeria 50 years ago, was commemorated last week in Kaduna, where he was killed. In his open letter, published in Daily Trust of that day, the Bishop, as usual, attacked Muslims and made snide remarks about the great man himself not least by accusing him of laying the foundation of today’s sectarian divisions in the North by what he called the man’s “controversial Conversion campaigns.” In spite of the provocations in that letter, I have resolved to observe a unilateral, but conditional, ceasefire; conditional upon the bishop not indulging in any further egregious misrepresentation of me or my religion. ************** “Muslim Brothers” and the rest of us (Wednesday December 16, 2015) As a retired military man l do know that if a group refuses to stop when an armed soldier orders it to do so, the only option left is for the soldier to secure his life with any means available to him. In no civilized clime would Shi’ites behave foolishly as in Nigeria. It is unbelievable that the Chief of Army Staff staked his life by alighting from his vehicle. In some climes none of these bigots would be alive to explain their foolishness. If these Shi’ites can threaten the Chief of Army Staff who then is safe in this country we call Nigeria? Alooma, ********** A fair piece! And you were right about there being little sympathy from the rest of us, especially us Zaria residents who've been held to ransom by the Shi'ite processions one too many times. The processions used to be infrequent, before they became a constant feature of Zaria town. Granted, the army was wrong in its choice of mode of response, but as the Bahaushe would say, "in bera da sata, daddawa ma da wari". Hannatu Adamu, ABU Zaria. **********
It could be members of the sect thought (Dr. Goodluck) Jonathan was still the President of Nigeria. Etebong Akpan Uyo. **********
Bishop Kukah’s attack on Islam (Wednesday December 30, 2015)
It's not in doubt to those who regularly follow his writings that Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah has made a sport of attacking Northern Muslims and Islam, invariably from behind the veil of scholarship. The "failings" he attributes to Northern Muslims derive from human nature rather than Islam to which he obliquely linked them. Region first, and religion later, have become veritable planks in the practice of politics in the country; their prominence not being wholly or exclusively the fault of Northern Muslims. Chief MKO Abiola's choice of vice-presidential candidate was vigorously opposed on grounds of it being "a Muslim-Muslim" ticket. Previously, region was the only factor. In the recent past, an intellectual Gerrymandering produced a Middle Belt of eighteen states - their sole link being religion. Neither religion nor ethnicity in themselves are Nigeria's problems but how politicians seeking advantage deploy them in the political arena. Here, it's clear there are no saints. M T Usman, ********** Matthew Kukah did not demonize Islam as a religion. He only criticized the Muslim elites who manipulate Islam to stir trouble in the north. You should not misinterpret his assertion to feather your cap in being holier than Islam as a religion. As for your interpretation of the book of 2 Corinthians, in the Holy Bible, it did not say Muslims are unbelievers. And what has Christianity got to do with the rules of OBJ and GEJ? Was Islam responsible for Abacha's misrule since he was a Muslim? Can Islam be held responsible for the shame perpetrated by even a scion of the caliphate? These are some of the things Matthew Kukah is referring to. Tanko Dabit, NIPSS, Kuru. ********** On your Kukah on Islam, I had thought age has reformed you. Pity it has not. Flounder on. John Amodu, ********** Rev. Kukah lost all reverence when, flying against all human dignity and conventional wisdom, he tried to justify the shameful attempt at scuttling President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti corruption crusade. **********
Okonjo-Iweala and the limits of propaganda (Wednesday January 6) Thank you for your critical and fair assessment of our former super Minister of Finance. While she was around, she made fantastic claims of her capacity and power. Most of us believed her, and even her boss almost submitted the leadership of this land to her. She made waves with stories of successes against corruption, development strides, and even ‘promoting’ Nigeria as the biggest economy in Africa. Our clueless president deferred to her to the amazement of many. One man she failed to mesmerize was Olusegun Obasanjo. But for all others she came, saw and conquered – benefitting herself and her ethnic groups. Thank you for a well-researched piece on the Queen of Breton Woods Conference. Deji Fasuan, Ado-Ekiti. What a lovely [piece] you wrote today. More power to your elbow. You made my Wednesday, sir. Tunde Oso, The Guardian Newspapers, Lagos.
Still on Bishop Kukah’s attack on Islam (Wednesday January 13) Bishop Mathew Kukah’s open dislike for Islam is no longer new. He has used every opportunity to hit at Muslims, especially Northern Muslims or the so-called Hausa Fulani Muslims. Being someone born and raised in southern Kaduna, I know that the average man from that part of the state is courteous and accommodating. It is people like the bishop who are doing the best – or worst – they can to further raise emotions and cause disharmony, which from time to time erupts. His infamous and rather shameful homily at late Patrick Yakowa’s burial will go down as a superlative act of irresponsibility by anyone at such a pensive gathering. Late Abubakar Gimba’s epic response to that homily titled “Et tu Monsignor Kukah?” is an enduring masterpiece worth archiving. But despite such unhelpful happenings, it is very heartening to see his own people still living peacefully with the Muslims. That is why whenever I have the chance when in Zangon Kataf, I go to those Kataf villages to visit my primary school teachers and classmates. For Kukah to claim that he is an advocate of peaceful interreligious co-existence, you have given him the best reply. What he does is giving with the right hand and taking even more with the left. Even at 63, his lack of restraint in using inappropriate language as well as resorting to untruths is fast becoming a trademark. I find his anger over Muslim hegemony laughable. The bishop’s very middle name is Hassan, a revered Muslim name used throughout the Muslim World in honour of the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be peace). Why not change that hegemony first, since it is absolutely within his power? I don’t know what loathing a people and still proudly bearing their name is called. Mustafa Adamu ********** It is not only you who Rev. Mathew Hassan Kukah is fond of calling names but all and sundry who do not agree with him. Not long ago he referred to those who differed with him on his defence of President Goodluck Jonathan and his looters of the nation’s treasury as people who live in the gutters and speak with mud in their mouths, who move from one beer parlour to another and from one bus stop to another, conveniently forgetting that they were put in that situation by the misdeeds of the very people he was seeking to defend. Barr. Umar M. Gummi, ********** Just read your column of todays. I didn’t read the previous to fully appreciate the build up to this point. However, as you claim to be misinterpreted by the Bishop, rightly or wrongly, there may be hoards of religious extremists on both sides that could react negatively in support of either of you. I therefore join Jada in appealing for the mutual secession of hostilities. Chief Loretta Aniagolu, ********** Let me join others calling for a ceasefire between you and the Bishop Kukah. My plea is because both of you are important actors to preserve peace in our country. Was it (not) the late Sardauna of Sokoto who stated that we must respect our differences? As we are now in 2016, fifty years on from 1966, that statement remains good food for thought. Ambassador TI Aguiyi-Ironsi, CON. ********** |