Africa For Africans: Statement On Nigeria Violence

Africa for Africans Movement has deep concerns regarding the latest spate of violence in the African soil of Nigeria - which has led to the loss of the lives of many innocent citizens and the destruction of important and valuable property. The northern Muslim "Jama'tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal Jihad", translated as "People committed to the propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad" and popularly known as "Boko Haram" chiefly has been blamed for the un-African and inhuman attacks in our more peaceful and humanitarian African soil of Nigeria. We are also aware of references to some Christian groups and agents provocateurs who act under the guise of Boko Haram to inflict damage on life and property. Indeed, this is disheartening, as the culture and traits of Africa are purely alien to any acts of terrorism and stand for love and unification. We therefore call upon all factions to restore order in the pure African spirit of fraternity. In fact, we understand that the acts of violence follow ethnic and religious motives. But the God we serve is the most forgiving God. Had it not been for His mercy which does not give up so easily on mankind, we believe not a single one of us in the world would have been surviving by now. As Jesus, even when he was hanged cruelly on the Cross; where big nails had run deep into his palms and the men of Caesar Augustus had badly tortured him, readily asked God to forgive his wrong-doers; and as the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, visited and prayed for the same woman who always threw rubbish on him as an act of insult, when she fell sick and the Prophet did not see her and her violent acts for sometime; as well as his signing the Islamic Pact of Cooperation and Non-Aggression with the non-Muslims on his first Hijra (Holy Voyage) to Madinah, preaching submission to best approaches and Peace-Islam, we urge both northern Muslim and southern Christian feuding factions to restore peace and settle down. We cannot afford to disintegrate the African soil of Nigeria so that Africa will increasingly be made up of smaller states that could be unhealthily subjected to the interests of the Imperialists. We must stand together. As the Beatitudes tell it all about Peace-makers and the Inheritors of Heaven, and as the Holy Qur'an admonishes "so be patient in the face of what they say.." (Q50:39) and adds "if you had been rough or hard of heart, they would have scattered from around you" (Q3:159), and reminds Muslims of the greetings in Heaven, "Peace", we urge all parties to sit down at the discussion table. What has become rife today in our world is the spread of ideologies: through education. That is, educating people as to what one believes in through the present many methods available, as the world quickly becomes increasingly global. There could not have been a better time than this to intellectually propagate what one believes in. So we refer all sides to resort to intellectual and God-loving peaceful discourses to propagate their beliefs rather than man-made un-Christian, un-Islamic and un-African bullets and bombs. We also call on all social commentators, politicians and the media to exercise decorum in handling this very sensitive and complex affair. The competent people of Nigeria and Government must listen carefully to the concerns raised by all parties, and see to resolve the best and most unifying way through. We also urge all African sons and daughters across the continent, and in Nigeria more particularly, to avoid politicians and self-serving and pompously-living men who exploit ethnic and regional - and most painfully, religious - differences for their own interests. As we trust and hope for the best to be arrived at by all factions without delay, we call on all Africans to join in assisting Nigeria to be accommodating for all. As God gave us this World, just as a tenant cannot destroy the Landlord's property, so must we hand it peacefully back to Him undamaged when we are called to account for it someday. God is with us all, God is with Africa, God is with Nigeria. Yours Sincerely,