“Christian Genocide“: What Is In a Tag? —Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman

Dear Adewole Temitope,
I was amused by your comment that read, “That is the reason you should join the campaign of ending it whether it is tagged as Christian genocide or not,” which was a response to my publication of the names of the Muslim girls kidnapped in Kebbi against the they-were-Christians fake news being peddled.

Temitope, you are not alone. Some others have also expressed their disagreements with stating they were Muslims, arguing that this is no time to count the scores of which religion has been at the receiving end of these terrorist activities the most. But then, why does a tag matter?

The 25 girls kidnapped in Kebbi aside, Amir Alqasim Usman of MSSN, Yauri Area Council, Kebbi State, was abducted and murdered by these bandits. If we go by your logic, Temitope, since tags do not matter, Muslims can go ahead to criticize these kidnappings and murder by calling it a Christian genocide?

May I ask you and others like you, can we call it Muslim genocide? Any Nigerian genocide? Muslim massacre? Since there is evidence that Muslims have been at the receiving end too? Will the tag matter?

You must understand that, as per your fellow Christians’ argument, of all these terrorist attacks, any kidnapped or murdered Muslim was on account of an unfortunate coincidence because their main targets are Christians. Do you agree with them? This is exactly why they push a Christian genocide narrative.

It gets worse when Muslims are now blackmailed into silence. If you say Muslims are being killed too and affected Muslims must not be victimized, it is interpreted as not kicking against terrorism! Isn’t that preposterous?

I am sorry, Temitope. It is out of reason for me to hold placards and protest on the streets with you, asking the Nigerian government or International Community to save us from an ongoing Christian genocide. Muslims, Christians, traditionalists, agnostics, etc., are all dying. What qualifies you as a victim is to have life, and your religion or tribe only matters when they need to drive home a specific message.

I am angry and sad because Nigerians are dying. If it does not please you that I am calling on the Nigerian government to protect the lives of her citizens it promised to protect, maybe we can protest together against Muslim genocide, which encompasses Christians if really tags are of little worth held.

Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman