Christians and Muslims were once united in the Northeast Nigeria

Christians and Muslims were once united in the Northeast Nigeria
By Vicky Somniso-Abraham, Special to ASSIST News Service
RANDBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (ANS) -- A mere mention of the northeast in Nigeria evokes thoughts of error, abductions, and merciless killings.
The northeast is regarded as a troubled region, however those who are familiar with the state reflect positively on the peace that prevailed in the area prior to the genesis of the two Islamic groups, the Maitatsine and Boko Haram.
Before the uprising of the Maitatsine in the 1980s which left at least 5000 dead and later the Boko Haram which left over 12 000 dead, the northeast was regarded as a peaceful region. However today it has become a bloodbath for Christians and those who oppose the group.
Fifty-year old Pastor Amakom Hyacinth Peregrine an Igbo man grew up in the Kano State and later moved to the Kaduna State where the Boko Haram has currently gone on rampage, kidnapping and killing innocent lives daily.
Peregrine who currently lives in one of the upper class market suburbs in Randburg, South Africa sits on a couch at a lounge in his newly found home. He reflects positively on his beautiful childhood memories on a state that has now become a center of attraction worldwide due to the ongoing bloody massacre.
"Everything was very peaceful, perfect and beautiful. You'd feel at home. We played soccer and hockey with homemade sticks," he says recalling his childhood memories.
"As we grew older, we would go to night clubs and there were no robbers on the road. The police would not arrest you if they saw you on the streets at night.  Instead, they would rather escort you home.
We lived a good life, but not anymore," recalls Peregrine now a pastor at one of the Nigerians churches situated in Randburg, South Africa.
"I wish that place could have remained that way, I would go back there. But I do not plan to go there until there is peace," says distraught Peregrine.
Back then he says the Muslims and the Christians were united.
"The relationship between us Christians and Muslims was cordial. The Muslims were my best friends, I would visit them at their homes and they would do the same."
However, things changed when the leader of the Maitatsine group, Mohammed Marwa robbed the northerners
off their peace. Marwa was known as Maitatsine and his group was named after him.  He was a preacher with a following of 3000. Similar to the Boko Haram, he opposed "secular authority and usage of technology". Ironically, he "rejected Prophet Muhammed".
"In the early 80s we heard people shouting Allah ha Akbar (god is great). They arrived and killed people in the north and nobody knew where they were coming from. They were killing the non-Muslims and Christians helter-skelter. Thousands of people were murdered. Some people ran away from the region for their safety."
Christian groups were formed whereby young men including Peregrine were offered training in order to protect themselves and their community. They were also taught how to make homemade weapons.
"We would have small meetings and they trained us how to fight back. We did not have guns, so we used guava tree sticks to protect ourselves. The training was very helpful."
According to Peregrine, hitting a person with a guava stick at particular areas of their body might lead to death. He said their opponents were armed with knives and guns.
During the fights, Maitaitsine was killed apparently by the police and that marked the demise of the group. People believe that the formation of Boko Haram was motivated by the Maitaitsine group.
"But the group is only wreaking havoc now. We don't know what is going on. They are against modern technology yet they use the same technology to record themselves. How can you say you don't want western method while you are using their devices?"
According to the Nation Online editor and the founder of Journalists for Christ Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin the Boko Haram attacks have mainly been limited to the northeast zone of the country with states like, Borno, Yobe, Kano, Bauchi, Adamawa, Kaduna and the federal capital, Abuja hard hit.
"Many lives and properties have been lost in the attacks but as a country we have all been affected in one way or the other. There are fears that the attacks may spread to other parts of the country. We all now live in fear not sure where next the terrorists will strike," said Otufodunrin.
He said the attacks have scared off Nigerians from the affected parts of the country.
"I for example and most Nigerians will think twice about travelling to the north. Some Nigerians from the southern parts who have lived all their lives in the north have had to return to the south after losing their properties and even family members," said Otufodunrin.
Boko Haram made media headlines when they abducted 200 school girls, but some managed to escape.
While they continue to kill and abduct people in the name of Islam, the Muslim Council of America Foundation (MCA) recently distanced itself from their abhorrent actions.
In his recent column on the MCA website the President of the Muslim Council of America Foundation, Aslam Abdulla said, Boko Haram claims to be Islamic, yet in the eyes of Muslims it has nothing to do with Islam.
"It claims to be a saved sect blessed by God and it believes in the supremacy of its own concept of religious law under the domination and authority of men only. Since, they believe that they are already a saved sect they can do whatever they want without being questioned by the divine either here or on the day of judgment.
They believe that non-Muslims have no rights and they deserve to be killed for preaching their faith. They describe all other Muslim sects as either kafir (non believers) or murtad (apostates) whose murder is part of their religious duty," said Abdulla.
Abdulla further wrote that the group does not interact with other Muslims and are ready to kill anyone who is opposed to them. He said they quote the verses of the Quran and ahadith to justify their position on slavery, status of women, rejection of modern education and the use of violence.
Abdulla emphasized that Boko Haram's understanding of Islam is based on an ideology that has tribal as well as juristic roots. He said the group relies on an understanding of the Quran that calls for perpetual armed struggle against those who think differently from the group claiming to be a saved sect.
Abdulla further said that there are many who view the Quran and Sunnah as a license to promote violence
and terror to achieve their goals.
He wrote that convincing such people that Islam does not promote violence and terror is where
the real challenge lies for Muslim intellect.
"Obviously, the existence of such groups demonstrate the failure of Muslim intellectuals to meet the challenge effectively, yet the efforts must continue at all levels, political , military, social and more importantly the theological," concluded Abdulla.
Photos: 1) Pastor Amakom Hyacinth Peregrine (50), an Igbo man (Photo: Vicky Somniso-Abraham)
2) Boko Haram
January 14, 2015
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