THE UNTOLD HISTORY
-Mukhtar Mukhtar
From 1808 until the mid-1830s, during the reign of Sokoto Caliphate that expanded to the west and key parts of Yorubaland which became one of the largest states in Africa, stretching from modern-day Burkina Faso to Cameroon and including most of Northern Nigeria and Niger Republic. The spread of Islam prompted the invasion of Nigeria by European Christians (British) to halt its expansion, destroy its tentacle and control Nigeria economy.
Before Nigeria was totally colonized by the British, they went further to kill Caliph Muhammad Attahiru, the last Sultan of Sokoto who resisted the invasion of British Rule. Since then, Muslims have been facing different challenges and whoever seems to be conscious of his religion among the Muslims, asking for Sharia court or Hijab in all government working places will be tagged as those who want to put an end to British rule which today’s CAN is supervising.
The colonial masters have never for once left us alone unmonitored. In the beginning, an acceptance of Christianity meant an acceptance of Western education and the rejection of Christianity meant a denial of Western education, an event which eventually culminated in the changing of names and religion by Muslim children. After independence, they introduced the Christian Missionary education referred to as western education or formal education which made it mandatory for interested Muslim children to renounce their religion and be baptized with Christian names. It was when missionary schools were abolished that Muslims had their way to other options.
The fear for the Muslim right of return prompted 1954 meeting by the highest body of Christian Association of Nigeria to sponsor some people among Christians to go to Arab countries as new Muslim converts, and learn Arabic and Islam with aim of coming back to Nigeria as Muslim clerics, use their Islamic knowledge to preach violence, distort original Islamic teachings and if possible, cause a riot in the North that will make northern Nigeria a history.
Professor Dauda Ojobi, a former secretary of Northern Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), a retired Professor in Benue State University faculty of Law, the 3rd Reverend Father from northern Nigeria, after Paul Gindiri, and GG Ganaka, The first Nigerian overseer of Baptist Church in Kaduna, and One time commissioner of Justice in Bauchi State who revealed this after he had embraced Islam in 1966, he is still alive and ever since, no Christian scholar or CAN executive has denied this statement from Prof. Dauda.
Yesterday’s Maitatsine, Today’s Boko Haram, is just a change of name. Why did Jerry Gana (Christian chieftain) bail Muhammad Yusuf when he was arrested by The Nigerian Police force in 2008? What was he doing at Israel 50th Jubilee and why was Nigerian CAN president Jet chartered for illegal arms deal? These are very hard questions that must be cracked.
On a final note, if CAN really have passion for Muslims and believe we are brothers, why did they detest Hijab in all government parastatals and building of Sharia courts in South west just for the Muslim alone?
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