Problems can always be compounded or simplified.
The article in question :
Towards the purpose-driven nation by Obadiah Mailafia ( D. Phil Oxford
I should just like to add that although Nigeria is still a secular nation – and a member of the OIC, whilst the Christian flock are members of various organisations such as the World Council of Churches it's just that the Muslim- Christian divide could be further exacerbated not just by Boko Haram extending their sphere of activities southwards but by even more democracy aspiring non-violent movements such as what Muslims have been able to achieve in the UK , namely the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain ( where Muslims assemble to discuss their problems) could also be extended to Nigeria.
I close my eyes and imagine the rise of a similar albeit a non-legislative body such as " The Muslim Parliament of the Federal Republic of Nigeria "– even just as an experiment and shudder to imagine the reaction of the Ade Pujas … and Ike- Hides and the counter –insurgencies of the Ogbeni Alhaji Mallam Menahem Qadiris
On Wednesday, 23 March 2016 23:20:51 UTC+1, Cornelius Hamelberg wrote:
My immediate reaction to reading Dr. Mailafia's "Towards the purpose-driven nation"
Africa Unite is always something to sing about and it's something that has to be done – starting with people unity. That's why I think that Christians ought to be informed about Islam as much as Muslims should informed about their Christian neighbours, for example, that they are not evil people just because they pray to the Almighty in a different way - They don't like the way I pray and be tolerant and respect other people's existential choices beyond the philosophy of any prophet - e.g. tolerant of the career of Lamin Sanneh.
Surprisingly, there is a singularly important factor that is glaringly absent from this analysis of nation building with a special focus on Nigeria, , and that is the religion factor which has effectively split Nigeria from the very inception and implementation of the Lugardist experiment back in 1914 when Nigeria was birthed. Throughout the trials and tribulations since Independence on 1st October 1960 , this religion divide has been an important role factor for politicians and military to contend with and at times, conveniently or not so conveniently to exploit to their own advantage.
On the Nigerian landscape the divide inherent in OH, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet could be equally true in the epic poem yet to be written, much like Kipling's with the opening lines of the first verse stanza running ,
" Oh, North is North, and South is South, and never twain shall meet" -
("Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat") -
and if I am to read Lord Mailafia correctly, in any future eventuality – not necessarily catastrophic, it is the Middle Belt ( as a buffer zone) that shall separate them , separate the true North from the South – for indeed it was only yesterday that I read Dr. Mailafia say: "Methinks there is a conspiracy to send the Fulani herdsmen as an advanced guard to conquer and subjugate my people. Nigeria may or may not survive as a single corporate entity. What we are seeing is a jostling for territorial space. But they are grossly mistaken. The Middle Belt will be independent of the core North in the event of the unthinkable happening. Make no mistake whatsoever about it. The suffering and pain the peoples of the Middle Belt and their Church -- and our Holy People -- have experienced has reached the ears of the Almighty God. He will confound our enemies. And those who have risen against us with the sword are under the curse and judgement of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They are labouring under a curse."
And elsewhere, very strong concerns expressed by the venerable Dr. Obaidiah Mailafia about his own home turf, the Middle Belt
Every serious Nigerian espouses the rule of law as the panacea to the impunity posed by pernicious wanton corruption: So in a nutshell, I think that the best solution is to accommodate two legal systems in the one country known as Nigeria . Understandably, Christian folks such as Dr. Mailafia are apprehensive of al- Islam/ Muslim hordes from the North sweeping over their non- Muslim home turf - their as yet safe Christian enclaves and eventually imposing majority rule Sharia Law on them the children of Jesus Christ – a Sharia Law which would consign them to a Dhimmi status – and hence you have the growing fear of the spectre of dhimmitude…. And this is the fear - a reasonable fear of 2nd class citizenship in his own country, that Dr. Mailafia has been crying about, and in many respects its quite a different kettle of fish from this kind of Second Class Citizen
That was just a little about that one crucial factor that divides people : Religion
N.B. Purim started today…
Cornelius
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