As a Muslim
who not only studied Quran at a tender age and attended Islamic institutions in
my formative years, I pray to Almighty Allah to bless the great woman of our
decade, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany for her righteousness in accepting
the influx of immigrants, especially Muslims for protection in her country.
There is
this negative and erroneous image of Islam that was created due to the
unwholesome activities of some leaders who promote intolerance and extremism
for their personal survival selfish interest. This stereotype can easily be
removed going by the noble teaching of Islam, which spreads love and tolerance
among all people, whatever their race, ethnicity, religion, doctrine, language,
tribe and social class system.
The holy
book of Islam, Quran, also teaches us that all humanity is but one great
family. It states: "O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one
soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them countless men
and women." Quran 4 Verse 1.
While Arab
leaders in mostly Muslim countries exacerbate crises and rebellions that result
in mass killing and displacements of millions of their citizens, Christian
countries, like Germany have become sweet homes for Muslim refugees.
Born on July
17 1954, Merkel is a German politician who has been the Chancellor of Germany
since 2005 and the Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since 2000.
It is not surprising that this conservative Christian politician was recently
named Time magazine's coveted Person of the Year for her work in the Greek debt
saga and largely for her unique intervention in Europe's migrant crises. Merkel
has voted against abortion rights and believes that marriage is "the
sacred union of a man and a woman."
When
immigrants from Arab and Muslims countries are threatened by senseless civil
wars and terrorism, she generously opened up her country's borders to a million
refugees, providing safety and comfort.
The Time
editors clearly pointed out that Merkel understands the mind-set of many
refugees fleeing dictatorship through her experience growing up in East
Germany, behind the infamous Iron Curtain.
While
announcing the award, the Editor of Time Magazine observed that at a moment
when much of the world is once more engaged in a furious debate about the
balance between safety and freedom, the Chancellor is asking a great deal of
the German people, and by their example, the rest of the world as well. Merkel is
passionately appealing to her citizens "to be welcoming. To be unafraid.
To believe that great civilizations build bridges, not walls, and that wars are
won both on and off the battlefield. By viewing the refugees as victims to be
rescued rather than invaders to be repelled, the woman raised behind the Iron
Curtain gambled on freedom."
A daughter
of a pastor and deeply religious woman rather than atheist, Merkel recently and
proudly described her faith to a young theology student that: "I believe
in God, and religion is also my constant companion, and actually has been my
entire life... one knows there is something higher than just human beings, and
that we are also called on to shape the world in responsibility for others.
This is a framework for my life, which I consider very important."
The exodus
of citizens from Arab and Muslim world are triggered by Arab leaders and
collaborating Western counterparts who instigate global humanitarian crises
through petty vendetta and deceits. In connivance with Arab leaders, the
western power destroyed Iraq under false allegation that Saddam Hussein had
stockpiled Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and they destroyed Libya on the false
pretence for entrenchment of democracy. The powerful forces, are largely behind
the sponsorship of rebels against legitimate governments in the Arab and Muslim
worlds.
A close
examination of those engineered crises, clearly show that they are not
religious but rather sectional, tribal and primordial conflicts under the guise
of religion. A clear case is the destruction of Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen by
the same forces that would rather protect undemocratic monarchy system and
fuelled conflicts in other seeming democracies.
It was
therefore not surprising when Sunni-Shiite debacle was introduced to justify
the wanton destruction of lives and property in some countries. There is a fear
that the same scenario could play out in Nigeria if the recent clash between
Nigerian military and an Islamic group in Zaria is not contained and
controlled.
Until after
the alleged Zaria massacre of members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria, headed by
Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zak-Zaky, on the day they were to celebrate Moulud
(Birthday) of Prophet Mohammed (SAW), Nigerian Muslims don’t bother about dichotomy
of creeds in Islam. It is therefore, unfortunate that while the country is yet
to resolve the Boko Haram terrorism, the political elite seems to find ways of
dividing the Muslim community along Sunni and Shiite doctrines when majority
simply believe in the Quran and Hadith. It is worrisome that politicians have
ways of playing politics with everything including innocent life and yet they cunningly
seek for the endorsement of voters during campaigns for elections.
Meanwhile,
just like the good hearted Angela Merkel of Germany, top Nigerian Christians
and their umbrella organisation, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have
shown empathy, expressed sympathy and condoled families of Zaria victims who
were killed like rats to be freely robbed by miscreants. Surprisingly, some
Muslim leaders who should be more concerned, either keep mute or merely engage
in blame-game on confused doctrines.
There is a
lot to be learned from leaders like Chancellor Merkel, who as a Christian is
providing shelter, food, medication, education and even enabling environment
for Muslims to practice their religion in her country. She has clearly demonstrated
the Islamic injunction, which states: “O humankind! We created you from a
single pair of a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that
you may know each other. The most honoured of you in the sight of God (Allah)
is the most righteous of you.” Quran 49 Verse 13.
Truly,
righteousness is the sole standard value in humanity.
Yushau A.
Shuaib
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