Imagine what would happen in Nigeria if in an effort to checkmate the Boko Haram insurgents, the Federal Government bans the wearing of full face veil (Hijab) by Muslim women or shuts down mosques?
Hell will be let loose, of course! Many innocent Nigerians will be sent to their untimely graves, courtesy of the crisis that would follow, with property worth billions of Naira going up in flames. In fact, the chaos that would follow such action is better imagined than experienced.
But that is not what has happened in Cameroun, Niger and Chad, Nigeria’s neighbours. Cameroun authorities recently ordered all mosques and Islamic centres to be shut in its northern part. The region had earlier banned the wearing of full face veil (Hijab) by Muslim women.
Authorities in Diffa area of Republic of Niger, which shares borders with Nigeria, also last week banned the wearing of Islamic full face veil following suicide attacks in the region by women wearing the religious garment.
Also, Chad, another of Nigeria’s neighbours, not long ago restricted the wearing of full face veil by Muslim women. The country also last week introduced death penalty for terrorism.
The three countries took the actions and their citizens have taken them in their strides. They realise that such actions by their governments are necessary and temporary steps to stop the Boko Haram insurgents from over-running their territories. They understand that their governments mean well; so do the Muslim population in the three countries.
But not so in Nigeria where people are fixated in their ways and opinions and ready to go to war over moves seen to be against their religion. This is unfortunate. So, Nigerians need to take a cue from citizens of Cameroun, Niger and Chad who have elected to live with the actions of their governments, acknowledging that humanism is the first law of God for man (and woman)!
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