I went to the restaurant of the hotel I’m lodged in and met a man who turned out to be the PA to a senator. That night, we discussed a range of topics — imperialism, the junta, Pan-Africanism, and Nigerian politics.
He’s an intellectual — very sound. By the end of our discussion that night, he was able to change my perspective on direct and indirect rule. Hopefully, I’ll write about that some other day, In shaa Allah.
We met again over the next two days, including last night. Yesterday, our conversation drifted into history until we touched on the jihad of Shehu Uthman Dan Fodio and how Ilorin, like other Hausa towns, was lost to the Fulanis. He is a Christian from the North, but not Hausa.
When I mentioned that Ilorin was conquered by Dan Fodio’s forces, he said, “Exactly! You can’t separate conquest from the spread of Islam.”
“That is propaganda,” I said.
“Propaganda? Your Prophet — how did he spread the religion? Was it not by war? They must either accept Islam or be killed!”
“Do you know Indonesia has the highest number of Muslims in the world? Islam came to my ancestors, not through war but trade through Mali. Who waged war against them? I was a Christian and am now a Muslim — who waged war against me?” I replied.
He went on to claim that Islam encourages terrorism and that, unlike Christianity, Islam would not have left Arabia without conquest.
After quoting relevant Bible verses that command the killing of those who reject the God of Israel, I reminded him of the KKK and Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army — both Christian terrorist organizations. In addition, I cited instances where Muslims have also been victims of terrorism, such as Brenton Tarrant who killed over 50 Muslims in a masjid, and the recent stabbing of a young Muslim man in a mosque in France.
“We have over 1 billion Muslims. If just 500 million believed that killing non-Muslims was the surest way to Paradise, how many people would be left on earth? Why are you holding me responsible for the actions of people who make up less than 2% of the global Muslim population? Why not judge me by the larger population — or do you just want to see what you want to see?” I said.
Him: “Lucas, I just like you.”
Teach them…
Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman
