Muslims Are More Marginalized In Nigeria – Says Sultan of Sokoto

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III has asserted that Muslims felt more marginalized in the country, only that they were not complaining. He then charged Nigerians to stop associating religion with anything negative in the country stressing that no country ever survives religious war.

While faulting Nigerians who politicize every action of government, he said, “When there is a vacant position and a Hausa man is appointed, we call it ‘northernization and when a Muslim leader visits an Islamic country, we say he is trying to Islamize Nigeria, while there are many people from other religion and tribes manning other offices and we witness many Christian leaders who have visited Christian countries but nobody said they were planning to Christianize the country.”

The traditional ruler spoke at the weekend during a breaking of Ramadan fast dinner organised for religious leaders, security agencies, resident communities, media practitioners, non-governmental organizations, NGOs, and a host of others at his palace in Sokoto.

He lamented that anything negative was being attributed to Muslims, Fulani (herdsmen) and Hausa, even as there were other people committing heinous crimes elsewhere but were not linked to religion, ethnicity or region.

The Sultan, who said that Nigeria was a beautiful country whose masses loved one another, blamed the elite for some of the country’s challenges caused by their selfishness and uncompromising attitudes.

“Whenever one loses power, he creates problem, and the masses are always at the receiving end,” he said.

While wondering why people blamed Fulani men for every attack, Abubakar said, “If criminals are doing bad things, they are criminals and they can be found anywhere, in any religion and tribes. Therefore don’t add religious or tribal toga to any act of terrorism.”

He however challenged the political leadership to ensure justice for all, noting that without justice no society would survive.

The Sultan added that they would organise a symposium on religious harmony and that a stakeholders’ meeting would be conducted every six months.