On promoting religious harmony in Nigeria
Jokolo must have learnt from the legacy of his ancestor because in the interview he granted BBC, he touched on the current crisis of leadership in Nigeria which largely came about because leaders have thrown away the good values of leadership like those we inherited from the Caliphate. He was critical of the politicians holding […]
Jokolo must have learnt from the legacy of his ancestor because in the interview he granted BBC, he touched on the current crisis of leadership in Nigeria which largely came about because leaders have thrown away the good values of leadership like those we inherited from the Caliphate. He was critical of the politicians holding public offices because of their failure to serve the people who elected them. Indeed some of what Jokolo said is a true reflection of popular feelings among ordinary people in Nigeria. He argued that despite the enormous financial resources which governments at all levels in Nigeria are getting, the living condition of the common people is terribly poor. Elected politicians take absolute pleasure in betraying public trusts by engaging in excessive profligacy and other forms of corrupt practices.
The former emir also talked about Muslim-Christian relations in northern Nigeria in the light of recurring conflicts in parts of the region. He tried successfully to situate the incessant communal/ religious violence in parts of northern Nigeria (like the most recent one in Plateau State) within the prevailing socio-economic circumstance in Nigeria. The politicians were accused of social injustice, which is now a common practice in government and therefore contributes to the outbreak of social conflicts. Jokolo’s views on the problems of leadership gives a correct picture of the objective political reality in many parts of Nigeria. However, his analysis of the role of religious followers in escalating communal/religious violence in northern Nigeria is opened to further discussion.
Religion no doubt plays a vital role in the life of most Nigerians, and for this reason, it influences our politics, social relations and virtually every other human activity. It is argued that religion is a factor that could determine the social and political influence of a military personality (in service and retirement) in northern Nigeria. However available evidence in the region shows that, the influence of ex-military officers depends not on the type of faith they profess, but it is the massive wealth they possess and also distribute around that could enhance their social prestige and political influence. Some of such former officers in the North are often conferred with “honorary” positions by religious organizations as well as traditional titles in our palaces sometimes even without indicating their interest. By engaging in “symbolic” religious practices and rituals, wealthy ex-military personnel build a strong base in religious bodies and organizations. Religion could be used in this case as a means to an end (getting political power and social influence). The spiritual function of religion as an end in itself is assigned a secondary role. Generally also, it is the most influential people in the society who make use of religion and ethnicity to protect their personal interests whenever they perceive that they are losing out in the scheme of things. They go to the extent of exploiting the ignorance and poverty of the ordinary people to instigate violence. This explains the reason why nobody up to now is brought to justice for the crises in different towns and villages in Plateau from 2001 to the present. In recent times, the use of religion for political advantage by politicians has gained prominence in Nigerian politics; this is could be of advantage if it could lead to moral rejuvenation and contribute to improve leadership quality. Unfortunately, most politicians resort to taking cover under religion in order to hide their failures. More so the political parties in Nigeria have no clear ideologies. This makes it difficult for followers to clearly distinguish the orientation of the parties in terms of programmes.
Jokolo also gave what one may consider a fatwa which he argued is a binding obligation on the present umma. He based his arguments on an historical precedent during the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The prophet reportedly offered his mosque in Medina to a visiting delegation of Christians from Najran to do their worship out of goodwill gesture. Jokolo concluded that such type of engagement could help to promote inter-religious harmony in northern Nigeria. What one may add here is that there are several ways for inter-religious dialogue and engagements which Muslims and non-Muslims could employ. The relevance of such interactions is to facilitate exchange of ideas, and also to create proper understanding of religious tenets and practices. The use of the media and other facilities under the category of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is one of the most effective means for inter-faith engagements which could be fully utilized by all religious groups. If there is a breakdown of any form of inter-faith dialogue within the national, regional or state frameworks in Nigeria that cannot just be attributed to the failure of Muslims or their leadership.
Usman wrote from Department of History, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.Email: [email protected]