MPAC Strongly Condemns Violence

The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) condemns in the strongest possible terms the senseless violence in Kaduna State which has killed countless innocent civilians, displaced hundreds and destroyed houses where the names of Allah are mentioned and remembered. With the complicity of the different community leaders (religious and political) who provided motivation for the murderers, that pointed out Muslim and Christian places of worship, homes and businesses, and stood by idly as the massacre occurred, anything we say or do now is tragically too late to save the lives that have been needlessly wasted.

MPAC abhors this spate of violence completely. Deliberate and indiscriminate violence against civilians is both deplorable and wrong according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, and especially distressing when it is directed against people specifically because of their religious beliefs. Muslim thought and opinion leaders must stand up collectively to register their protest when any such violence takes place. As is the case here, a quite legitimate cause is being hijacked by misguided murderers to unleash terror on ordinary civilians. Qur’an says ‘And fight in the way of Allah those who fight against you and do not go beyond the boundaries’

Muslims are a people with tradition. It is certainly not part of our tradition to leave justice to the mobs! If we allowed rage to suppress our Ramadan piety and mercy, twenty years from now where would the Muslims be, only Allah knows. Maybe the Muslim leaders of that time would be born of parents we would readily kill today, in the heat of rage! If we go back to the time of the prophet, at the time of Muhammd (SAW), Abu Bakr and other companions, there was a Kaffir, a Mushrikkin who was antagonistic to the religion of Islam and to the Muslims. His name was Umar ibn al Khattab…., you all know the rest of the story.

In the past, there used to be a limit to the level of hate and antagonism Nigeria’s Muslim community experience from the people of the other faiths, especially Nigeria’s Christian community, but all that has disappeared. Whatever crimes that are being committed against innocent Muslims (fasting men and women), it seems, will certainly not be reported accurately by the already hostile media. Already, the branding of the Muslims has started and is gaining momentum.

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Contact:
Disu Kamor
Director of Media & Communications
Muslim Public Affairs Centre, MPAC
e-mail: kamor.disu@mpac-ng.org
Website: www.mpac-ng.org