Anti-Islam film: Muslims stage protest in Kaduna

Muslims poured into the streets of Kaduna yesterday in protest against the anti-Islam movie causing ripples across the world. The peaceful protest was held just as the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, called on Nigerians to be conscious of God and be loyal to the nation as Nigeria turns 52.

The popular Islamist group, Shiite, staged the anti-Islam movie protest, a follow-up to the one held in Zaria last Thursday. Members of the group moved round the streets, displaying placards with various inscriptions, denouncing the film that portrayed Islam and Prophet Muhammed in bad light.

The Sultan of Sokoto said all Nigerians should appreciate that Nigeria belonged to them and only them could salvage the country, hence the need to desist from all utterances and acts capable of undermining the corporate existence of the nation. NSCIA and JNI president general stated this at a press conference addressed on his behalf by the Secretary General of JNI, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu at the JNI National Headquarters, Kaduna, yesterday. According to the Sultan, “as the nation marks its 52nd Independence Anniversary, the entire Nigerian Muslim community is expected to dedicate itself to Allah, take recourse to Him and be more committed to the progress of our nation.

“Muslims are expected to pray fervently for the nation that peace and harmony prevail in the country and that Nigerians enjoy tranquillity and prosperity,” he stressed. He, however, charged all Imams to dedicate their respective Juma’ah Kutbah (sermon) of next Friday specially for calling Nigerians to be conscious of Allah and be loyal to the nation, adding that, the Imams should also pray for the country, its leaders and the citizens.

The president of the apex Islamic body in the country equally condemned the situations where some bad elements commit evil in the name of Islam, saying that, “religion, Islam, especially, is a harbinger of peace and harmony. “God does not make mistakes; our togetherness, despite our diversity as a single nation, the largest country of the blacks in the world, could not have been an accident. We need to think more together, work more together and address our problems together,” he noted.

While he expressed disaffection that the leadership of the Christian Association Nigeria (CAN) has failed to condemn the recently released anti-Islam video, the Muslim leader said if the said video were against Jesus or Christianity, JNI would have registered displeasure against it as it did to the one against Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

While it reiterated its call for restraint among Muslims over the anti-Islam video and condemned the last Sunday bomb blast in Bauchi State, Sultan of Sokoto maintained that good governance was the surest was to ensuring peace and stability of Nigeria. “We want to remind leaders at all levels to be fair, just and selfless in discharging their responsibilities.

They should always remember that justice and selflessness are the cornerstone of good governance which is the surest ticket to peace, stability and sustainable development,” he emphasised.