Nasir el-Rufai On War Path, Christian Leaders Warn

Condemnations have continued to trail the tweet and retweet by a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, on Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene.

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In separate interviews with Sunday Punch, the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and Methodist Church advised that el-Rufai should be rebuked seriously.

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The religious leaders warned that the remark could set the country on fire.

Despite his earlier apology, el-Rufai had retweeted: To those who see clearly, whose minds are not clouded by sheer religiosity, there is nothing insulting about the tweet.”

The General Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Dr. Musa Asake, also said the former minister should be brought “to justice on account of his incitement and insult against the Christian faith.”

“With this retweet, CAN believes that El-Rufai is set on a war path with the millions of Christians in Nigeria. We must state that unlike others, Christians do not shed blood, take life, kill or maim others at the slightest provocation,” he said.

Similarly, the Prelate of the Anglican Church, Archbishop Nicholas Okoh, urged leaders of Islamic organisations in the country including the Sultan of Sokoto, to “call el-Rufai to order before he oversteps his bounds.”

Okoh said the Muslim community must prevail on el-Rufai to desist from making derogatory remarks about Christianity to avoid retaliatory responses from Christians.

He said if the Muslim community didn’t want anything derogatory to be said about them, then their members should not make such comments about other people’s faith.

Also, the Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Makinde, said el-Rufai needed prayers. “Father, forgive him for he knows not what he is doing,” he said.

He added that Christians would not judge el-Rufai for insulting their sensibilities.

3 COMMENTS

  1. ….but why is the ORIGINAL tweeter of the inciting message left uncastigated????
    ….is it because El-Rufai is a Muslim or Northerner that the Xtian bodies are blowing it out of proportion????
    Let’s quit this prejudicial castigation and be fair in our judgements.

  2. May I call the attention of the Christian leaders in Nigeria – not to in any way, shape or form, behave like the Islamist – in the slightest.
    The Christian faith – being the most peaceful on earth without a shadow of doubt – must not be peddled by some Christian leaders in Nigeria as if it is a pro-Jihadist Islamic stupidity.
    As an ex-Muslim myself, now a born-again believer in CHRIST JESUS, I know too much of the falsehood called Islam; the last thing I want to see is some Christians coming out with Islamic attitude problem, even in the slightest.
    Whatever El Rufai may have said against the Christian faith should not in the slightest shock or dismay any Nigerian Christian leader at all. If at all, what are guys doing about Boko Haram then?, fully knowing their intention for the destroy of Nigeria.
    Let everything be done in order. No Christian is allowed to act like a mini Boko Haram; trust me that could be going towards an uncharted territory. Don’t only read but study the Bible more and apply the Word of life appropriately. At least, a Jihadist or Boko Haram person is carrying exactly what is written in the Quran – VIOLENCE against non-Muslims anywhere in the world, as directed by the prophet of Islam himself.

  3. CAN, dont generalise. Nasir el rufai is not islam.islam is a religion like christanity. was it not the same Nasir, when he was a minister stop muslims to call prayers through microphone in Abuja. therefore christian we consider him a liberal radical.i advise CAN to make a rejoinder to el rufai in person not islam in general