The height of evil

Raising my head from my breakfast plate, I noticed that Tahir too had finished his meal and was getting set to leave the table. But the issue burning in my mind cannot wait till he returned from work, I’ll have to bring it up now or else spend the whole day waiting till he returns. […]

Raising my head from my breakfast plate, I noticed that Tahir too had finished his meal and was getting set to leave the table. But the issue burning in my mind cannot wait till he returned from work, I’ll have to bring it up now or else spend the whole day waiting till he returns.

‘We are truly the beloved of Almighty Allah, Hubby dear. I can’t say it any other way.’ I declared.

‘Really? And what made you realise this suddenly?’ He asked, sceptically.

‘The recent failed bomb attack at a church in Kaduna town. Imagine what would have happened if it had succeeded. We wouldn’t just be counting the dead and wounded in the bomb blast, we would also be counting those killed in retaliatory attacks on innocent Muslims, who were meant to be blamed for the attack. But our All-Hearing and All-Knowing, Merciful Lord was with us. He had decided to protect His long-suffering servants and expose the evil geniuses around us, so the whole thing was aborted and the bloodthirsty terrorist apprehended. All thanks be to Allah SWT.’ I intoned.

‘Yes, you are right Bint. We would surely be singing a different tune today if Nathaniel Samuel hadn’t been arrested on time and his murderous plan foiled. What I can’t believe is how hardhearted some people are, so that they can enter a room full of innocent worshippers, people with nothing on their minds but the desire to pray, and simply end their lives in cold blood. I mean we are not at war or anything that can justify attacking innocent civilians during worship. This is truly an evil act which must be punished with the maximum penalty.’ Tahir proferred.

‘Indeed it is the height of evil Hubby dearest. I mean look at how it’s meant to be. Nathaniel was supposed to attack a church with his Improvised explosive device (IED) and run away. It was planned to coincide with the CAN-organized protest against so-called killing and persecution of Christians in Nigeria so as to lend credence to their claim. Had it succeeded and no one was caught, some sections of our media will certainly blame and prosecute Muslims through media trial. The result will be worldwide condemnation of Nigerian Muslims, and a spate of retaliatory attacks on innocent people within Kaduna town and environs.

Meanwhile using the bombing as proof, and not minding the innocent lives lost, CAN officials will keep blackmailing the federal government on the issue of Christian persecution and continue getting what they want. Some people really possess hearts of stones and are masterminds of evil, who can resort to anything if it suits their aims.’ I concluded.

‘It’s truly unfortunate that we have people like these in our country. I mean the type who will plan evil and make sure the blame lies squarely with others.’ Tahir lamented.

‘That’s true and since this is like the seventh time a Christian had been caught red-handed trying to bomb a church or set other buildings on fire, an example must be made of Nathaniel Samuel. The record, based on media reports showed that on six previous occasions, Christians had been caught in similar acts of terrorism, yet not one of them has been prosecuted. For all we know they are all enjoying their freedom after being quietly released by the police. But we must not let that happen in this latest incident.

Already Nathaniel has told the police that five of them were given IEDs to detonate in different locations in Kaduna. Yes, during his interview with the police he named the remaining four terrorists who were assigned to other places as well as the bomb-maker, whom he knew by his nickname. It’s up to the police to track down these murderous individuals and arrest them. They must be taken to court for an open trial and be punished accordingly.  Otherwise, many more will attempt what they did, in future, since there is nothing to deter them.’ I opined.

‘You are right Bint. Only a severe prison sentence can prevent a recurrence of this hidden terrorism. And the best part of Nathaniel’s case was that despite attempts to give him a Muslim Identity, in order to absolve his co-religionists of blame, his own father came out to insist that his son was indeed Nathaniel Samuel and not Muhammad Nasir Sani, as the church leaders had claimed. And this is why I totally agree with you Wifey dear, that Almighty Allah was surely with us in this whole affair. And to Him be all praise, amin.’ Tahir prayed, rising up from his dining chair to pick his car keys and head for work.