The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has urged Muslim youths across Nigeria to remain calm and avoid any form of public protest over US President Donald Trump’s threat to attack Nigeria.
In a statement on Sunday, Ishaq Akintola, executive director of MURIC, also cautioned Islamic groups against forming militant outfits in reaction to the threat, warning that such groups could end up harassing innocent Nigerians, including fellow Muslims.
Akintola advised the Nigerian government to handle the matter through diplomatic channels, saying confrontation or emotional reactions could worsen the situation.
“Muslim youths, North and South of the country, are advised to avoid public protests over Trump’s threat. We should allow the Nigerian government to handle the matter through diplomatic channels,” Akintola said
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He said Trump’s warning should be interpreted as a threat against terrorist groups, not Muslims or Nigeria as a whole.
He stated: “Taken contextually, Trump’s threat should be seen as directed at terrorist groups. If that is the case, our response to the threat is straightforward. Terrorists are not part of us,.
“Their methods stand in contradistinction to the tenets of Islam. We condemn terrorism, and we will not associate with those who kill and maim. We reject ideologies of kidnapping and extortion. They are alien to Islam.”
Akintola added that any US military strikes targeting Boko Haram, ISIS, or ISWAP “will make sense,” noting that such groups have killed both Muslims and Christians.
However, he warned that attacks on innocent Muslims or mosques would be viewed as aggression and a continuation of the Christian crusades.
“Such strikes will be considered aggression and a resumption of the Christian crusade of the 19th century if innocent Muslims and mosques are targeted or if Muslim leaders are attacked or become victims of rendition and the attendant waterboarding,” he said.
The MURIC director reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to its motto, ‘Dialogue, Not Violence,’ and urged Nigerians to embrace peace and tolerance.
He also called on Muslims to avoid hatred or vengeance toward Christians or foreigners, adding that hospitality remains a core value in Islam.
