CHRISTMAS DAY BOMBING IS UNISLAMIC

26th December, 2011 PRESS RELEASE:  CHRISTMAS DAY BOMBING IS UNISLAMIC Multiple bomb blasts marred the glamour of Christmas day yesterday in many parts of Northern Nigeria. The blasts occurred in two churches near Abuja and in some other places causing huge death toll and leaving several wounded. The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) is shocked and petrified by this development. We are saddened and nonplussed by this complete lack of respect for places of worship and an incomprehensible and insatiable thirst for human blood. We strongly condemn these dastardly acts. The attacks are barbaric, Satanic and absolutely unIslamic.  The timing of the attacks is equally alarming, reprehensible and preposterous. The attackers cannot claim that they were revenging the attack on Muslims in Jos during the last Id al-Fitr on August 30th 2011 which left many Muslims dead because Christians celebrating Christmas earlier on December 25, 2010 were the first to be killed in bomb explosions. Nothing in the scriptures of Islam justifies this kind of attack. We therefore assert clearly, unequivocally and unambiguously that Boko Haram is not fighting for Nigerian Muslims. MURIC wishes to alert the Federal Government, the security agencies and the generality of Nigerians about the real motive of the planners of the Christmas day bombings. The bombings are designed to ignite religious war between Christians and Muslims in the whole country. They wish to create mutual suspicion, complete chaos and a total breakdown of law and order. We therefore charge the adherents of the two main religions in Nigeria (Christianity and Islam) to ignore the irrational provocations of Boko Haram. Christians and Muslims must continue to forge greater unity for the progress of the country. We must not succumb to the pressure of advocatus diaboli in our midst. Finally, we urge the leaders of the two main religions in the country to publicly address their supporters and organize joint rallies and programmes. We implore religious organizations to sensitize their members on the need for religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence via public lectures, seminars and symposia. We warn Muslim youths against joining the rampaging sect. Security agents must take urgent proactive steps to protect minority religious and ethnic groups in various parts of the country against reprisal attacks. Is-haq Akintola (Ph.D), Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, Lagos State University, P.O. Box 10211, LASU Post Office, HO 102 101, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria. Tel. 234-803-346-4974   I remain oppressed untill the hungry are fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed and the homeless sheltered