Our
consistent policy of religious dialogue was based upon the fundamentals of our
faith which exhorts us to “Follow peace with all men” and also, we unequivocally subscribe to Article 18 of the
United Nations’ Universal Declaration on Human Rights which states that, “Everyone has
the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes
freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in
community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or
belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
Over
the decades the Christian Association of Nigeria had observed a definite
pattern to the disruptions. Perhaps undetectable at close quarters our internal
study reports spanning the existence of Nigeria clearly revealed a gradual
escalation of intelligent, premeditated propagation of sustained violence
against the sovereignty of Nigeria with the total annihilation of the Christian
Church as one of its primary targets. What had been misdiagnosed for years as
religious conflicts could then be clearly seen as an ancient strain of Islamism
(not conventional Islam) that had flourished undetected for centuries. The
unchanged goal of the ancient scourge being the total eradication of religious
liberty, a suppression of women's rights and the imposition of a totalitarian
ideology across the length and breadth of Nigeria.
As
a former British prime minister said while receiving the US Congressional Gold
Medal in 2003, “The spread of freedom is the
best security for the free. It is our last line of defence and our first line
of attack. And just as the terrorist seeks to divide humanity in hate, so we
have to unify it around an idea. And that idea is liberty. We must find the
strength to fight for this idea and the compassion to make it universal.
Abraham Lincoln said: ‘Those that deny freedom to others deserve it not for
themselves.’ And it is this sense of justice that makes moral the love
of liberty. In some cases where our security is under direct threat, we will
have recourse to arms. In others, it will be by force of reason.”
Research
studies commissioned by the CAN presidency of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor also noted
the increase in the sophistication and logistics of the attacks. Crude spears
and machetes had given way to high velocity machine guns, rocket propelled
grenades and high tech incendiaries replete with remote detonation devices are
now in use. Suggestive immigration patterns were unearthed with evidence of
foreign infiltration and financial backing. When these were factored with
evidence of complicity in state organs designed to protect citizens rights and
clear patterns of obfuscation of justice even in instances where the government
backed panels and commissions of inquiry published called for the prosecution
of known offenders. (the importation of bombs by unknown person under the umbrella
of the Nigerian Police Force and a few other cases may be cited) The CAN
presidency of Ayo Oritsejafor was left with no option but to arrive at a
reasonable conclusion that Nigeria had become the target of a coalition of
international terror organizations merged with the local vestiges of an ancient
strain of Islamism. His fears were soon confirmed by open admission of certain
Islamist groups operating within Nigerian borders. Successive governments
spanning the years of military rule to the present democratic structures had
been in denial for years but the spate of merciless bombings and terror
mongering that has been witnessed elicited an admission from the government of
Nigeria.
Again quoting former Prime Minister Blair, “The terrorists and the states that support them don't have
large armies or precision weapons; they don't need them. Their weapon is chaos.”
This
is precisely the situation in Nigeria – the terrorists and their allies are getting more
successful at creating chaos – religious, political, economic and social – in several
parts of Nigeria. If we keep it in focus that the eradication of religious
plurality is one of their primary targets we would all understand the gravity
of the Christian concern in Nigeria. The current president of CAN was forced to
raise an alarm when the situation worsened and it became obvious that the
Nigerian government was not swift to present any acceptable or creditable plan
to protect the Christians and Muslim moderates that were being targeted by the
Islamist coalitions. From the systematic and sustained attacks on non-Muslims
the casualty figures would approach
genocidal proportions if nothing concrete is done. There are many lessons that
can be gleaned from the experience of Southern Sudan where the displacement
sequence claimed three million lives before the international community paid
adequate attention. The evidence of "intelligent" Islamist moles in
the rank and file of our institutions was further confirmed by the insidious
campaign of calumny that followed the announcements made by the CAN president
that non-Muslims were permitted to defend their lives if and when threatened by
terrorists. The massive and well-funded Islamist propaganda campaign tried to
smear his reputation to no avail.
The
threat to national security and religious freedom is great and there is the
need to redefine our strategy, if we are to survive. We have observed that the
religious dialogue platforms have been severely compromised and foreign funding
was being employed to stage "religious pantomimes" that served to
propagate the myths of religious disturbances instead of admitting the reality
of Islamist terror in Nigeria. An African proverb says that the dance steps
must change when the drum pattern is changed! We dare say that the Islamist
vanguard in Nigeria have become ardent supporters of the "religious
dialogue policy" because it helps to perfume and cover their tracks.
Strategic consultations have also revealed Islamist doctrines of deception and
other devices that deny a level playing field.
It
is for this reason that the CAN president has consistently demanded an upgrade
of the "religious dialogue"
platforms to "progressive religious
dialogue" where the overall effects of the exercises are monitored
both locally and internationally with the inclusion of seasoned arbitrators if
need be. This shift is again in concordance with biblical injunctions that is
the truth that makes free and
principles upheld by the United Nations.
After
the September 9, 2011, attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in
New York and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and also the July 7th and
21st 2005 bombings in London, the world woke up to the reality of a new kind of
threat and the necessity of a new kind of response. It became clear that there
had to be proactive and decisive action if Western civilization would continue
unhindered. An unprecedented kind of evil had arrived on the scene and an
alliance had to be built around a consensus on the necessity of containing and
eliminating it. The progress the world has made since then is a result of this
decisiveness on the part of Western leaders to keep the world safe for all
peoples. Africa is also asking that the same yardstick needs to be applied to
the same threat on our continent.
Taking
a cue from recent history and also from accounts of threats to the existence of
people groups all over the world, the church in Nigeria seeks to build an
alliance around a similar consensus – the need to identify and isolate the individuals, groups
and countries who form the Islamist coalition that threaten the continued
wellbeing of Christians in Nigeria. This
is all that Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor is asking for on behalf of the tens of
millions of Nigerian Christians under his care. The specter of an Islamist
Nigeria is not something that this world can afford and we are prepared to work
with anyone that will assist in ensuring that uniform justice is applied across
the board. Compensation must be paid to those who have suffered needlessly
whether they be Christians or Muslim moderates. The Nigerian government must
work to prevent an Islamist hijack of its mandate. The senseless massacres must
cease and religious freedom must be preserved. This is what "progressive religious dialogue" is
all about and CAN will cooperate with all religious bodies, international
concerns and governments that will work to find a lasting and peaceful solution
to the real and present danger. We desire strategic partnerships that will work
to identify, isolate and prosecute those behind the Islamist programs and are
prepared to imbibe appropriate methodologies of international arbitration and
diplomacy required to protect the lives and rights of our citizenry.
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