By Dooyum Ingye
Few days ago, a former classmate, while adding his voice to a discourse, re-ecoed an ideological position maintained by most Muslim northerners. He said that politics and religion is intertwined, and as far as Nigeria is concerned, Islam has a major role to play in the political process of Nigeria.
Do not dismiss this view hastily. Prior to Nigeria’s independence, to the post independence period, major decisions have been taken based on Islamic consideration. Islam has always been a guiding principle. The push for the implementation of complete shariah – whether political- supports my post, and confirms the position of these people.
Recently, this has caused me to reflect upon various aspects of Nigeria. Those who see, and read the signs, know that she has no future. I have come to the conclusion that Nigeria is a mirage, a means to an end, sustained purely for selfish reasons. As it stands, there are several countries within Nigeria.
Islam or Muslims, which ever you take, do not approve of democracy nor its principles. The proclamation that power resides only in allah, and man only holds it in trust negates the popular ‘power belongs to the people’ chanted in democratic states. To them, allah is supposed to play the dictatorial role in politics. This is why, some of the delegates at the conference set up by Ibrahim Babanginda, which came to be known as the report of the political bureau, refused to endorse the report because it placed sovereignty in the people residing in Nigeria.
We know for sure, that some elites from northern Nigeria profess democracy publicly, but the decisions they introduce in their states, are based on the shariah, and to pleasethe dominant Islamic popoluation. Beyond the declaration of states as Islamic or Christian, Muslim governors are more willing to literally carry out the commands in the Quran.
Look at the Mubarak Bala case; the young humanist has been illegally locked up for over 259 days now. Even when a federal high court ordered for his release, he is still held in prison. This clearly disregards what is spelt in the constitution. I do not wish it, but like we have seen in the past, if a particular crazy Islamist guns down Mubarak, the Muslim population will hail him, and rise to his defense.
I tell you, in Muslim dominated states, there is no such thing as the constitution or Nigeria. What matters, at every point, is Muhammad and Islam. The presence of a non believer is tantamount to desecration. In my year one, some students expressed such worries to the HOD. They considered me desecration to their practice. In northern Nigeria, the first priority is the propagation of Islam. It doesn’t matter whether it is through physical or verbal jihad. This is why, very few northerners criticize boko haram. They know that members of Boko haram are doing what the quran commands. And, the quran is taken to be the word of allah.
Further, right here in this country, we have seen how Muslims use Islam to reject every positive imitative coming from science.
The average northerner out there, wants a shariah country. They dream of it because, to them, democracy is man-made and imperfect. They want a shariah state because Islam commands it. It is only in a shariah state that politics and Islam can be married as one. Under democracy, a true democracy, religion is pushed out before it instigates human right violation, conflict, suppression of inquiry, liberty, science, etc. They might not clamour for it everyday, but they pray for it, and are willing to take up arms to make Nigeria a caliphate. The designs of Dan Fodio are always kept close, just in case.
In the academic circle, it is no different as a new course titled Islamic Political Thought has been introduced to teach young Muslims about the life and works of Islamic revolutionaries. The essence exceeds the teaching of history, it is aimed towards planting the seed of dissatisfaction against the Republic of Nigeria. Most of those Islamic revolutionaries led widely accepted revolution in their countries, against what they termed ‘a corrupt form of government’. Democracy was rooted out, and shariah planted in its place. This is the dream of most radical educated Muslims. They task their young ones to read the islamic history, in order to prepare for the much anticipated revolution in Nigeria. A university professor once said, ‘ emphasis has shifted from democracy to any system that answers man’s problem’. A well disguised statement. He had said this after condemning democracy in favour of an Islamic caliphate. Though some Muslims do not openly support Abubakar Shekau because he kills Muslims, but they don’t condemn him either. To them, at least, he is doing something.
So, mixing Islam with politics is beyond respecting the belief of a particular people. It is a subtle attempt to introduce shariah in mainstream politics, to consult Islam before public decisions are taken. As long as, it is not so, Nigeria is jusa ride. And, a significant number of the Muslim population who occupy seats in this vehicle called Nigeria, have no emotional attachment to it, or others who occupy it with them. They feel that Islam makes them superior to other non Muslims, therefore, the act of governance can only be rightly delivered by them, who are allah’s chosen slaves.
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Few years ago, I asked a female Muslim whether she would die for Nigeria, and she refused immediately. She said her happiest moment will be the day she dies fighting for an Islamic state or in a jihad.
This is coming from a woman presented by Islam to be weak and inferior.
(c) Dooyum Ingye 2021
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