CAN Body Has Zero Tolerance For Islam - Islamic Council Of Nigeria

Sultan Of Sokoto

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs has accused the Christian Association of Nigeria of being religiously bias and intolerant of Islam.

It said Muslims in the country had always tolerated Christians but that CAN was showing itself to be "Islamophobic”

CAN had condemned the federal government's move, on the issuance of Sukuk bond by the Debt Management Office, describing it an attempt to islamize Nigeria, and that promoting a sectional religious financial policy was a violation of the constitution.

Reacting to this allegation, NSCIA, in a statement by its Deputy Secretary General, Salisu Shehu, said CAN could not claim ignorance of the fact that even the World Bank had been involved in issuing Sukuk bond.

"It would certainly be embarrassing for CAN to be told that the first and foremost state in Nigeria to submit application for loan to the Islamic Development Bank is a Christian dominated state in the South East.

"This has been the factor that made Muslims to tolerate several practices or things that are essentially Christian in nature and outlook, in substance and form and indeed in principle and practice, but imposed on us.

"We have not been talking of Christianisation because Sunday has been forced on us as a work - free day, or the Cross as our hospital sign and symbol, our membership of the International Red Cross , and many other things including almost all the titles of the heads of academic institutions (chancellor, provost, dean, rector, etc.)

"Despite this remarkable tolerance from Muslims over the years, CAN appears to be increasingly becoming Islamophobic and paranoid about its hate and intolerance of Islam, casting aspersions, unnecessarily overheating the polity and unjustifiably creating fear and distrust in the minds of peace loving citizens of our great country”

It further advised CAN to, in the spirit of Biblical injunctions, uphold the truth and refrain from statements capable of causing disaffection and promoting disharmony that might lead to conflict in the country.