Opeyemi Agbaje wrote: I know it sounds intelligent, modern and sophisticated to say that religion should not be a consideration in politics. I know that is also the politically correct thing to say. As a matter of fact, that is how I have always lived my life and that is how the South West has always practiced its religion. We have always adopted a tolerant, accommodating and matured view about the place of religion in social, cultural and political affairs. However if you live in a country in which eleven (11) states in one region of the country have established a Sharia regime with religious laws, police and policies, there is nothing intelligent or even rational about saying religion is not a consideration in politics. Indeed in the Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri Islamic North, religion is not a factor in politics, it is the ONLY factor! If you live in a country in which a religious terrorist group called Boko Haram has killed over 20,000 people in just four years, it is almost insane to say that religion is irrelevant! I agree it should be, and indeed would have preferred that it is, but evidently and unfortunately due to the actions of the sponsors of religious politics, today it is NOT irrelevant! Sadly but clearly! If the country you live in was smuggled into the OIC and remains there; if a region of your country has been overwhelmed by religious terrorists with millions of displaced people; if there are substantial allegations that one of the two dominant political parties (APC) has a preponderance of one religion among its officials, office holders and candidates; if in fact the leading presidential candidate of the party (Buhari) is a former military dictator who has PUBLICLY declared his intention to establish sharia all over the country; and if the whole world is contending with religious extremists including ISIS, Al Qaeda, Al Nusrah, Hamas, Al Shabab, Seleka, Daesh and Boko Haram who are trying to establish Islamic Caliphates in Northern Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, CAR, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia’s Caucasus region, India’s Kashmir, China’s Uighur region and even the US, Europe and Canada are battling religious extremists, there is nothing at all smart about saying religion is not a consideration in politics! Instead frankly such a statement would be delusional!!!
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 23:57:45 +0000
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