By David Olalekan
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) said the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and others like it who are criticizing the presence of President Muhammadu Buhari at this year’s Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) summit are in need of anti-Islamophobia vaccine.
MURIC Director, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, in a statement he made available to newsmen yesterday, said the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other groups like Afenifere and Ohaneze who condemned Buhari for attending the summit are merely displaying their hatred for the religion of Islam.
In his words, “It is pathological hatred. Those who are allergic to transparency, those who have phobia for due process, those who are ethnic bigots and those who are deeply entrenched in acrobatic religiosity are ganging up under the banner of gymnastic Islamophobia. The old order cometh again. CAN, Afenifere, Ohaneze are all Muslim-haters and what they need urgently is anti-Islamophobia vaccine.
“Come to think of it, 53 heads of state out of the 57 member-states of the OIC are being expected at the summit and majority of them are not even Muslims. Why are they singling out Buhari? MURIC will not hesitate to give proportionate response to any attack on Islam from any quarter no matter how highly positioned.
“Those who want to attack Buhari’s government are free to do so. We may ignore them. But anyone who uses religion as a launching pad to attack any Muslim leader (not Buhari alone) will have MURIC to contend with.”
Akintola also urged the leadership of CAN not to reignite the old religious crossfire and to desist from making issues out of no issue. He also warned CAN to stop pushing issues that will promote anti-Muslim sentiments and as a result endanger the peaceful coexistence in the country.
“We were all here when ex-president Jonathan turned Jerusalem to Aso Rock’s backyard and the Muslims said nothing about it. CAN should eschew selective criticism,” Akintola added.