Posted By Trace Reporter on 8 August 2016
The legislation, “a Bill for a Law to
substitute the Kaduna State Religious Preaching Law, 1984” (the 1984 Edict) or
simply known as the Kaduna state Religious Activities Regulation Bill is still
in the making but it has never lost its controversy since it was first
introduced by that state’s governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.
The layman’s interpretation of the bill is
that is seeks to regulate the practice of Islam and Christianity – the two
dominant faiths in Nigeria. This more popular understanding of the proposed
legislation is perhaps responsible for the ease with which some mischief makers
were able to easily demonise it as proof of their conspiracy theory that there
is plan afoot to Islamize Nigeria.
To think that this understanding or street
interpretation of the law is a product of limited literacy would be totally off
the mark as there have been well educated persons, some I have interacted with
have PhDs, who still join the raging mob against the legislation even when
given the benefit of being updated with the content of the bill. For most part,
many of the critics have never bothered to learn anything about it, not even
the full title of the bill much less its provisions. Yet they are raucous in
disowning the bill; one of Nigeria’s self-styled clergies, Apostle Johnson
Suleiman of Omega Fire Ministry, even passed a death sentence on el-Rufai if he
does not withdraw the bill in what would have qualified as hate speech in other
countries.
If the ‘Christians’ that fear the plot to
Islamize Nigeria can only quieten down a little they would hear the din also
being made by their Muslim brothers who think only an infidel could have
thought up what some of them stopped short of describing as ‘blasphemous’. It
is inconceivable for this set of people that a man who should be one of theirs
is plotting a piece of paper that will slow down the march of a religion whose
time has come.
Yet in the reactions of the adherents of these
two dominant faiths is proof that the Kaduna state Religious Activities
Regulation Bill is sorely needed. Firstly, reactions to the bill exposes the
self-centredness that makes them think theirs is the only way of worship so
animists, agnostics and the rest have no say in the national life. It also
confirms the satanic application of religion as a tool for brainwashing,
radicalisation and building fanatical base in the country. A video from Apostle
Suleiman’s church service showed his followers ecstatically chanting amen as he
invoked death on a fellow human. Secondly , the half-witted criticisms
confirmed that Nigerians are trying to get the best of two worlds; here are
citizens who want to practice adopted religions on a scale more fanatical than
the places from where the religions originated without accepting the safeguards
that these countries have put in place.
If those raising dust over this matter would
bother to read not just the bill but other literature they would discover that
in Israel, which Nigerian Christians hold in such reverence, Gazan Christians
must obtain permits to hold processions for feasts as basic as Palm Sunday and
Easter Monday. Muslims who frown upon the bill should also ask themselves how
it was possible that Saudi Arabia that hosts many of their holy sites is almost
free of terrorism while other countries that failed to take a tough stance
against hate preaching are reeling from sustained terror attacks – there are
other factors definitely but the way people are allowed to preach plays a role.
I have in the past, in opinion articles and
interview, outlined how this bill will be useful in curbing the recruitment and
radicalisation of youths especially those of the Muslim faith. I think it is
one of the key things it seeks to achieve and radicalisation is a problem that
is besetting the world today as unregulated preachers abuse their position of
trust to fill young people with poison. It is no less in the other faith where
the clergy actively teach their followers to be intolerant of those not in
their fold albeit without the call to annihilate them. There are also those who
use religion to provoke materialism among their flock to a point that their
followers commit acts that equally amount to terrorism in order to claim the
prosperity decreed upon the congregants.
This is why I think the bill should be revisited.
It should be revisited by other state(s) to see if there are areas peculiar
that has been missed and that can be then incorporated into their own version
of the law. It goes without saying that I am urging each state of the
Federation to pass its own version of the law in order to rid the country of
extremism in any form. For instance, there is a state in this country where
self-style clergy men brand children witches, and consequently manipulate
parents into harming or even killing their own offspring; there have also been
reports of people killing their parents or relations on the strength of visions
or prophesies from charlatans. We cannot continue to live this way.
At the Federal level, members of the National
Assembly must rise above pettiness to harmonise resulting legislations from
states that take the bull by the horn to arrive at a federal law. They must
accept the reality that all religions in Nigeria are now guilty of making life
uncomfortable for their neighbors by way of unruly and disruptive processions,
blaring of megaphones and loud speakers outside the premises of their places of
worship and often time blocking major public roads during their session,
prayers or processions to disrupt the peace.
The lawmakers, knowing that many of them exploited
religion is some way to win elections, must read up about how the two dominant
faiths in Nigeria are practiced in other countries, including their places of
origin. Worship centres are made to conform with city building codes, the
buildings are soundproofed, there are no loudspeakers blaring unto the streets,
it is offensive to attempt forcefully converting others, preaching cannot
violate extant laws on hate speeches and the finances of religious bodies are
under watch.
The issue of finances of religious
organisations and their affiliates is a particularly urgent one. There must be
a legislation making it mandatory for them to register as charities to enjoy a
tax exempt status and their books must show that money is not diverted for
other purposes other than for helping the needy. This is because we have seen
how money can leave religious organisations to finance terrorism – like the
loan scheme Boko Haram introduced to lure unknowing villagers into their fold.
Government or rather politicians must not
allow things get worse than they are currently simply because of expediency. We
have seen what radical preaching can do from our Boko Haram experience. As of
today, the activities of ‘men of God’ in the media have not been encouraging
and the earlier the governors and the Inspector General of Police wake up the
better it is for our nation.
We can all embrace the Kaduna example now or
spend the years ahead wondering why we allowed ourselves to be held by the
religion prospectors.
Agbese contributed this piece from
the United Kingdom.
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