Trendy tolerance

Also published in Daily Trust

Though so much has been said and written on the supposedly Islamic religious insurgency in northern Nigeria, the crisis as a subject of research has not got its appropriate share of exhaustive and objective intellectual treatment, which is quite necessary in order to come up with a comprehensive explanation of the phenomenon and offer practical proposals to restore and sustain peace in the region. Most of the circulating analyses about the dynamics of the insurgency and the solution proposals lack intellectual depth and logical objectivity required to thoroughly understand the phenomenon, put it in the right context and offer appropriate solution proposals accordingly.

For instance, there are those who are particularly eager to manipulate facts, tamper with Islamic religious texts and/or quote them out of context in their desperate bid to hold the religion of Islam responsible for the promotion of the ideology and culture of intolerance and violence. Though unlike their likes elsewhere particularly in the west, these Nigerian intellectuals, seek to create this impression in largely indirect ways especially when they write or talk in the mainstream media, due to the particular sensitivity of the issue in Nigeria. 

In any case, as a result of the wide media coverage they enjoy, and in view of the relative scarcity of opposite views, their superficial and largely biased analyses continue to influence the views of many commentators, newspaper columnists and writers, which explains why their views have such a huge influence on the general public impression and indeed the official course of action by the government in its effort to tackle the crisis.

Interestingly enough,  a friend of mine, who, by virtue of his deep involvement in some initiatives to reach out to Boko Haram leadership and encourage them to engage in dialogue with the government, has had access to some top Boko Haram leaders including Shekau and also some top government officials including the president, confided to me that, he had once secured Boko Haram leaders’ acceptance to engage Muslim scholars from anywhere in the world in a foreign country, in a debate over their i.e. Boko Haram’s understanding of Islam, with a view to determining where Islam actually stands in respect of their activities. So, having realized how such dialogue would provide the much needed platform to clarify the religious issues they clearly misunderstand, he excitedly raised the proposal in a meeting with the President, however the President wondered what if the invited Muslim scholars justified Boko Haram’s activities. which clearly showed that even the President himself was not sure if what Boko Haram was doing was actually against Islam or not.

Moreover, even among the Muslims themselves, many otherwise good analysts view the crisis within their narrow respective sectarian perspectives. For instance those who are sympathetic to Sufi sects and indeed the Shi’a religious adherents see some coincidences to say that religious intolerance, extremism and terrorism are inherent hallmarks of Salafi Islamic persuasion.

Incidentally, it is totally against the spirit of objectivity and fairness to admire or criticize a particular religious creed based on the practices of some of its adherents instead of what such creed actually maintains and teaches. After all, if this illogical yardstick were to be considered in assessing ideologies and religions, they would all be discredited.

Anyway, back to the core issue. Apparently overwhelmed by such biased views on Islam about intolerance and violence, many among the particularly Muslim western educated in Nigeria, most of whom by the way are obviously lacking in advance Islamic jurisprudential technicalities, are not only unable to counter such narrow views against Islam, but are unconsciously promoting them in various ways and indeed dismissing many Islamic teachings under the pretext of promoting religious tolerance.

Unfortunately it has become the norm among many of them, most of whom clearly maintain inferiority complex, to doubt or criticize many Islamic teachings simply because they find them unpalatable according to the secular and/or sometimes Islamophobic standards they have imbibed. This explains why when they address some religious issues they sound very apologetic as though they owe others an explanation for being Muslims in the first place. They shamelessly promote some bizarre explanations on some Islamic issues in order to match the trend and sound or appear “civilized and tolerant.”

The situation is even worse on the Internet, where many purportedly Muslim intellectuals, and in their obvious desperation to avoid being branded as religious fanatics, seek to justify any assertion or practice no matter how clearly contrary to some unambiguous Islamic teachings. They often desperately look for a “justification” for any ridiculous idea and/or practice, especially if it emanates from the west, under the pretext of broadmindedness. They assume that belonging to the fold of Islamic religion per se entitles them to talk on its behalf. They have consequently bastardized and abused Islamic scholarship and indeed made it easier for any Tom, Dick and Harry to divulge his ignorance on its platform. They seek to achieve cheap popularity at the expense of the religion, where they unnecessarily raise controversy every now and then to generate debates, or, under the pretext of literary creativity, concoct fake or ambiguous expressions some of which imply blasphemy simply to attract attention.

   

Though, realistically speaking, this trend can’t be stopped, I believe its impact could be drastically neutralized by encouraging the activities of qualified Muslim intellectuals, whose presence particularly in the mainstream print media and the Internet is unfortunately quite limited. Their active contributions are highly needed all the time to clarify issues based on sound religious and logical grounds, dismiss and refute allegations and misconceptions against Islam, which the mainstream largely secular-minded western educated not only fail to do but actually promote, either consciously or unconsciously.