I used to be alarmed when Christians downplay the danger of Islamism. Not anymore. Some are sincere and ignorant. In their naivety, they think the best of all human beings and are content to remain in the bubble ideal world which they fantasise about. Some are simply in denial.
The ones in denial understand the dangers of Islamism but, for the sake of political correctness, they cannot acknowledge the inconvenient truth about jihadist Islamists. It would upset their world. They would have to take a stance. They are conflicted. They could be called bigots. They could be called Islamophobic. They could lose face; lose friends; lose position; lose business relationships. So it serves their self interest to be indifferent. They decide to ignore the gentle tug of their conscience.
After all, they rationalise, they really need not speak out against Islamists. God understands. They must be tolerant. They must be socially acceptable. They have not rejected Jesus. Don't we all serve the same God? They would just worship God in private and not offend anyone. Faith is personal. Why upset anyone? God understands.
To be sure, I reiterate for the umpteenth time: Islam and Islamism are not the same thing. Islam is what my friend, Abba Bello, practices. Islam is what my professional mentor, Alhaji Muhammad Kabir Ahmad, practices. Islam is actually what most Muslims practice. They love their friends and family like anyone else. They are peaceful and peace-loving. They are content to serve Allah and be at peace with those who choose not to do so.
Islamists are a minority. But a very vocal minority. They intimidate and antagonise the average Muslim. They think they are not genuine .Muslims. They follow the Salafist doctrine which pushes Political Islam. They want an Islamic Sultanate. They want full implementation of Shariah Law. They want everyone else to become like them......mandatorily. They want their Islamist control and domination of all spheres of human societies: education, law, judiciary, politics, religion, culture, Economics, financial services, military, government etc.
When we think of Islamists, we often imagine the Talibans, Al Qaeda, Al Shabab, ISIS, Boko Haram and other jihadist terrorists. So we ignore the Islamists who are subtle, urbane and civil. We think: how could these gentle, exposed, civilised, tolerant intellectuals, businessmen, academicians and professionals be Islamists? We are disarmed by their charm, their intelligence, their eloquence, their charisma. So we ignore the cues. We overlook the signs. We make excuses for them. After all, we went to the same school with them. They were our colleagues in the office where we worked. Surely, they could not be Islamists......like those folks who blew up the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre on 9/11. How could they be? Let us not even think about it.
How could Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi be an Islamist? How could anyone regard Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as an Islamist? Or even......
LOL! No, I will not mention other names. Some names probably came to your mind. LOL!
The violent and militant Islamists. The gentle and suave Islamists. The difference? The latter deploy Taqqiyah to great effect. But the objective is the same: to ultimately create an Islamic Sultanate. In the case of Nigeria, to dip the Quran in the Atlantic Ocean as Alhaji Ahmadu Bello said he would like to see happen some day.
Islamists and Islamism are the greatest threat to humanity today. This is why even countries with a majority Muslim population like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirate, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria, Qatar and Kuwait have zero-tolerance for Islamists and Islamism. They are wise.
All Nigerians, whether Muslims, Christians or people of other faiths, must rise and stand against Islamism and Islamists. The war must not be limited to the terrorists. The "benign" Islamists are just as dangerous. It is folly to assume they pose no threat. We must learn from Egypt.
God bless you.
God bless Nigeria.
Nigeria di fure!
The ones in denial understand the dangers of Islamism but, for the sake of political correctness, they cannot acknowledge the inconvenient truth about jihadist Islamists. It would upset their world. They would have to take a stance. They are conflicted. They could be called bigots. They could be called Islamophobic. They could lose face; lose friends; lose position; lose business relationships. So it serves their self interest to be indifferent. They decide to ignore the gentle tug of their conscience.
After all, they rationalise, they really need not speak out against Islamists. God understands. They must be tolerant. They must be socially acceptable. They have not rejected Jesus. Don't we all serve the same God? They would just worship God in private and not offend anyone. Faith is personal. Why upset anyone? God understands.
To be sure, I reiterate for the umpteenth time: Islam and Islamism are not the same thing. Islam is what my friend, Abba Bello, practices. Islam is what my professional mentor, Alhaji Muhammad Kabir Ahmad, practices. Islam is actually what most Muslims practice. They love their friends and family like anyone else. They are peaceful and peace-loving. They are content to serve Allah and be at peace with those who choose not to do so.
Islamists are a minority. But a very vocal minority. They intimidate and antagonise the average Muslim. They think they are not genuine .Muslims. They follow the Salafist doctrine which pushes Political Islam. They want an Islamic Sultanate. They want full implementation of Shariah Law. They want everyone else to become like them......mandatorily. They want their Islamist control and domination of all spheres of human societies: education, law, judiciary, politics, religion, culture, Economics, financial services, military, government etc.
When we think of Islamists, we often imagine the Talibans, Al Qaeda, Al Shabab, ISIS, Boko Haram and other jihadist terrorists. So we ignore the Islamists who are subtle, urbane and civil. We think: how could these gentle, exposed, civilised, tolerant intellectuals, businessmen, academicians and professionals be Islamists? We are disarmed by their charm, their intelligence, their eloquence, their charisma. So we ignore the cues. We overlook the signs. We make excuses for them. After all, we went to the same school with them. They were our colleagues in the office where we worked. Surely, they could not be Islamists......like those folks who blew up the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre on 9/11. How could they be? Let us not even think about it.
How could Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi be an Islamist? How could anyone regard Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as an Islamist? Or even......
LOL! No, I will not mention other names. Some names probably came to your mind. LOL!
The violent and militant Islamists. The gentle and suave Islamists. The difference? The latter deploy Taqqiyah to great effect. But the objective is the same: to ultimately create an Islamic Sultanate. In the case of Nigeria, to dip the Quran in the Atlantic Ocean as Alhaji Ahmadu Bello said he would like to see happen some day.
Islamists and Islamism are the greatest threat to humanity today. This is why even countries with a majority Muslim population like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirate, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria, Qatar and Kuwait have zero-tolerance for Islamists and Islamism. They are wise.
All Nigerians, whether Muslims, Christians or people of other faiths, must rise and stand against Islamism and Islamists. The war must not be limited to the terrorists. The "benign" Islamists are just as dangerous. It is folly to assume they pose no threat. We must learn from Egypt.
God bless you.
God bless Nigeria.
Nigeria di fure!
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