(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - In the life of man, the maximum number of years on the Earth does not usually exceed one hundred years. Therefore at 50, the life reaches its peak. Hence if Nigeria were an individual human being, it could be said to have reached its peak by now.
Nigeria, however, is a state comprising of different societies. Of course states and empires rise and fall similar to the death of human beings. Sayyid Zakzaky (H) pointed to this fact in his closing lecture at the just concluded 6th National Conference organized by the Resource Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. He quoted some Qur’anic verses to back the issue of the rise and fall of Kingdoms/Empires/communities:
And how many a (rebellious) community have we destroyed, with our punishment coming upon it by night or while they were resting at noontide. Quran: 7(4) When it is Our will to destroy a community we send commandments to its folk, who were given good things of this life and yet transgress, and the sentence of doom proved on them takes effect, then we destroy them utterly. Quran: 17(16) And there is not a community but we shall destroy it before the Day of Judgment or punish it with dreadful penalty. This fact has been laid down in eternal record. Quran: 17(58).
Nigeria, asserted the Sayyid (H), is a product of the fall of some other states namely: the Islamic State founded by Danfodio, Borno, Dahomey (Benin) and Oyo empires. The word ‘nation’ as it came to be used as a concept in sociology and political science, denotes a people within a geographical area who share common history and culture. Sometimes it is regarded that a nation must not necessarily have to dwell in a particular geographical location but rather a nation refers to a people who have a common identity. A state, therefore, refers to a geographical area while nation refers to the people. For example, Palestinians are a nation but without a state because their state has been usurped by the Jews with the subsequent creation of the illegal state of Israel. So Palestine remains a nation but not a state. However there is no nation without the feeling of attaching itself to a geographical location.
In some present day countries like Egypt, India, China, Iraq, Iran, etc, the state is congruent with the nation. In other words, the people have the feeling that they share common history and culture in almost the same geographical boundary. They have cause to take pride in their past. Here in our case, the Europeans created states and called them nations. Then what is our history, posed Mallam Zakzaky(H). Did we reach any amicable agreement at one point in time to live together as a nation? The Europeans did it and it was and is still for their own sake. They came for our resources to empower their countries. In fact they scrambled for our territories.
It is now 50 years that we inherit ‘a roughly confused place’ called Nigeria. We do not have anything to be proud of our past except the fact that we have been slaves in the 1900’s. We have a common history of being colonized at the same time by the British. Lugard formally declared Nigeria (Lagos, South and Northern protectorates) as a British colony in 15th March, 1903. This was done after the ruthless (but avoidable) massacre of Attahiru II, who fled Sokoto, the headquarters of the Caliphate, to Burmi. So Lugard declared: “The Fulani conquered this country. Now we have conquered you. So we have the right to rule over you.” The use of Fulani was deliberate. It was aimed at reducing the Islamic State as established by Shehu Danfodio to a mere Fulani uprising against some Hausa Kingdoms!
Right from that time, the Nigerian State was programmed to abhor anything Islamic. The British had always feared that our people would revert back to Islam. They constituted deliberate policies to put the North at gross disadvantage. In the educational sector, for example, they empowered the South. For a southerner, the sky was the limit. For the poor northerner, however, the pursuit of education was either stunted or even terminated. The current terribly wide educational ‘gap’ between the North and the South may not be unconnected to this insidious plan, the rejection of boko by our people notwithstanding. In fact Lugard once declared: “To educate the North or to destroy Nigeria?”
In the formation of the first Nigerian Council, selection was used. That was why the majority of the members were drawn from Lagos. The North protested. So in the first Republic where the system of one man one vote was employed, the North had an upper hand. The situation was that political power lied with the North while the strength of the civil and military services lied with the south. This was the genesis that leads to the first Military coup in 1966.The Military leaders tried to introduce unitary system of Government as against the Federal System. In the latter, each region had its constitution whereas in the former, there is only the centre as the strong Government. The state Governments are very weak in this system.
After relatively long time of Military rule or is it misrule, involving coups and counter coups, they decided to enforce ‘democracy’ verbatim from USA and thus discarded the British parliamentary system. Any indigenous element was missing. Political parties were enforced.
Elections only turned out to be selections. So called leaders and other political appointees were imposed. In the latest Republic, they introduced a rather meaningless concept of dividing the country into six ‘geopolitical zones’. Sayyid Zakzay (H) queried the formation of South-South without a corresponding North-North to point to the clear error in that perpetrated zoning. Now that a southerner is the ‘appointed’ so called leader, the plan was that the political power should never return to the North.
Sheikh pointed to the fact that if we want to bequeath a meaningful society to be proud of, we have to properly agree to continue as a nation. In fact there has been no any referendum conducted to ascertain our will to continue as a nation. Everything was and is still being enforced on the citizenry. People were not given the real opportunity to have a stake in their day to day affairs. The Muslims in Nigeria constitute the majority. They are drawn from both the north and the south. So let us face reality. We have to acknowledge the fact that we have difference. The majority Muslims have rights. Whenever you mention Islam or Muslim’s right, they become jittery and immediately go against it. Then for how long can we continue to be suppressed? The Sheikh asked. Of course there is a limit to which the Muslims would continue to be suppressed.
The Nigerian security machinery and the armed forces take seriously everything Islamic as something against the national security. The so called leadership had to pledge loyalty to their Euro American overlords outside. Foreign interests are always safe guarded at the detriment of the welfare of our people. They want to make sure that what Europe established must remain. They even try to distort our history. As par as Nigeria continues like this, it will continue to benefit others. Let us sit down and address our differences based on truth, not fallacy or illusion. In addition, Zakzaky (H) pointed to the fact that the America has its insidious plan on Nigeria. There is the possibility for them to use some African troops, unlike what they did in invading Afghanistan and Iraq.
Mallam (H) then re-iterated the fact Islam is a Universal message to Mankind from God. It is neither a birth right nor a tribal affair. Many people are ignorant of this. Mankind in general has tried all ‘isms’ but failed. Let us try Islam. It is the only way out. By this, we do not, by any means, try to impose Islam on any body. The issue is that if Islam comes to be practiced the way it should be, they fear that many would clearly see the justice inherent in it and subsequently embrace it. For the Muslims to establish an Islamic system of governance in Nigeria, it does not mean that Christians and other ‘traditionists’ would be forced to embrace Islam. After all the British who were not Muslims, imposed a colonial system on us and yet the Muslims retained their faith!
The Muslims have Right. Non Muslims also have rights. Fulfilling one’s right does not require that the other relinquishes his. The right of non-Muslims does not mean that the Muslim should put his religion aside. This is the reality we need to face. In essence, Islam is the only ‘Religion’ that has a complete way of life. It does not separate Religion with politics. It takes care of politics, economics, ethics, laws and social relationships as well as spiritual practices. Malam (H) pointed to one fact: That since democracy entails majority rule, then practicing Islam in Nigeria, which has undoubtedly majority Muslims, means imbibing real democracy! In conclusion Mallam(H) gave the glad tidings that Islam is certainly going to be established in Nigeria.
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