Dear NCOE colleagues,
I send you blessings and a wish for peace in your hearts.
Please find below the FB post I shared with friends after the Christmas attack in Northern Nigeria. This was written immediately after the attack in response to questions about our safety.
In the words of Fareed Zakaria, “here’s my take” on the Nigerian situation
At the personal and interpersonal levels:
For over five generations there has been considerable religious intermarriage within my partner’s family. It is very common for Muslin relatives to come to celebrate Christmas by feasting on the turkey and offering prayers for good health, prosperity and joy. Likewise the Christian side of the family never fails to attend the Salah, the breaking of the fast, and to offer prayers for the good health and prosperity of these relatives.
My partner’s closest living relative is not only an Alhaji, he is the Imam for one of the largest mosques in Osogbo. He is so delighted that we are back in Nigeria that he calls every morning at 8 am to ask about and pray for us. He never attempts to convert us. Just to pray for us.
Several other Alhaji’s who live in our community came to pray for us at Christmas Our former driver who I would trust with my life is a devout Muslim who prays and fasts regularly. He just sent me a Christmas card. This kind of interaction is not unique to our family. It is quite common throughout Nigeria.
Here’s the sociological, political and economic analysis:
The problem in Nigeria is not religious conflict, it is general INSECURITY experienced by everyone one who lives in Nigeria regardless of faith. And the root of this insecurity is an absence of leadership committed to meeting the needs of its people.
Let me address the sources of this general state of insecurity.
1. Criminal behavior by individuals of every religious persuasion who attack and kidnap people based on their perceived wealth not their religion. Many have turned to crime in the absence of any legitimate form of employment.
2. Islamic terrorists (mainly though not entirely in the Northern and Middle Belt of Nigeria) who attack school children (mostly Muslim) and markets (Christian & Muslim), and occasionally Churches, which get significant more publicity. By far these terrorists have inflicted more harm on God-fearing Muslims than on Christians.
3. Conflicts between farmers and Fulani shepherds. The Fulani who are predominantly Muslim are tending cattle owned by wealthy individuals (both Christian and Muslim, but mostly Christian). These cattle break (or are led) into farmsteads and destroy crops. Most of the farmers in the Southern part of the country are Christian— but the conflict here is about land use not religion. It’s kind of like the Wild West in the US with farmers and cattle people fighting over land. Blood gets shed, farms trampled in these conflicts.
The insecurity here is real But Christians are not being targeted in the way some in the West and even in Nigeria describe. I acknowledge that Christians have been targeted by Islamic terrorists. However these groups have injured and killed even more Muslims, particularly women and children.
The last three successive Nigerian governments (one Christian president, two Muslim presidents) each of whom had cabinets that were diverse in terms of religion and ethnicity have failed to address the root causes of these problems.
The absence of leadership committed to meeting the existential needs of everyday citizens: good roads, water, healthcare, education, electricity, and opportunity for gainful employment, engenders the conditions above. If successive governments had provided for citizens guided by the Sermon on the Mount, rather than cleptocracy, the insecurity that is rampant in Nigeria would be greatly reduced.
It’s unfortunate that many outside and inside of Nigeria are highlighting the religious aspects of this situation and failing to acknowledge that everyone regardless of faith tradition is at risk. And, what is motivating these strikes against “Islamic terrorists” has NOTHING to do with “saving Christians” and EVERYTHING to do with GREED and rare earth minerals.
I fear that those looking for simple answers to complex problems, those who have something to gain politically or economically are taking advantage of the general state of insecurity for their own purposes. I encourage you to use your knowledge of history and current events to determine what you think their motives might be.
If this is useful please feel free to share.
May Peace be with you.
Eileen
Elder Eileen B Wilson-Oyelaran
President Emerita
Kalamazoo College