Letter to Northern Nigerian Christian -By Abdussamad Umar Jibia

Finally, you are there. Your “brother” from America has spoken. He is coming to “your disgraced country” to wipe off your enemy, an enemy who has lived above your pettiness, an enemy who does not give attention to your blackmails, an enemy in whose presence you always feel inferior. That enemy is I, the Muslim Northerner. Out of your inferiority complex, you have given me different names, the most widely used of which is Hausa-Fulani. I am Hausa-Fulani even if I am Kanuri, who can speak no single word of Hausa or Fulfulde. I am Hausa-Fulani even if I am born to one of the minority tribes of Gombe, Bauchi, Kogi or, in fact, a Birom. All I require to qualify to be a Hausa-Fulani is to be a non-Yoruba Northerner who prays five times a day.

At last, I have caught the attention of your big brother who has never been to Nigeria, a person who has no respect for a black man like you and I. All you are now waiting for are his bombs and rifles to make you greater than the Hausa-Fulani, to make your presence arouse hate and fear in others just like you feel when I am around. Congratulations.

Your hatred towards me has a history which cannot be ignored. You and I have lived side-by-side for centuries. This is where our creator Has decided to place us, just like He placed Chinese in China, Indians in India, Arabs in Arabia, etc.

Living together always generate experiences, sweet and bitter. You have always emphasized the bitter experiences of living with me as the reason for disliking me. For example, you believe that before the coming of British, you were oppressed by me through my emirs who carried regular raids on your villages to catch slaves; slaves they sold to Arabs and your new found brothers in Europe and America.

When the British came as colonizers, they no longer needed slaves. So, even though they ruled you through my emir, they banned slavery the way it was done at that time. However, because they sensed no wisdom in you, they taught you that the worship of one God as done by your neighbour was wrong. They taught you about three gods that can be considered as one. Depending on who taught you Christianity, you believe that these three gods (or parts of God) are son, father and mother or son, father and holy ghost. Even if it didn’t make sense, it was handy. At least, you now had a religion just like the Hausa-Fulani had one.

This raises one question. Are you a Christian because you truly believe in Christianity or are you in Christianity because you want to compete with me? Actions are said to speak louder than voice. Your later actions would answer this question.

For example, even before Europeans came to this part of the world, we travelled to Makkah in what is now called Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage. Till date, we save our money to go on Hajj without waiting for Government. Even without Government agencies we would continue to go on Hajj on our own because it is an article of our faith. Don’t worry, I know how your mind is working. You would be happy if your American brother would bomb that place we go annually. To your chagrin, that wouldn’t change anything. We shall still perform hajj even if Kaába is demolished. Islam has provided for that possibility.

Unfortunately, Christians do not have an organized system of worship that provides for annual pilgrimage. Out of ignorance, you thought Israelis are your brothers because their grandfather is mentioned in the Bible. You thus put pressure on Government to create diplomatic ties with Israel so that you can be going there for pilgrimage just like Muslims go to Saudi Arabia. So, you annually come back to tell stories about Israel just like Muslim pilgrims share their experiences in Saudi Arabia.

One thing you have forgotten is that Israelis do not even believe in Christianity. As far as they are concerned, Jesus Christ is an illegitimate child of an adulterous woman and Christians are idol worshippers. Yet, you still believe that Israelis are better than you because they are the “God-Chosen”. I don’t even know which god chose them. Is it the God they claim to have killed or is it another God? In any case, you need a solution to your slave mentality.

You are very unlucky to be a tiny minority, otherwise I would have been cleansed long ago. Your record of violence against Muslims in the few areas you control is well established. In some cases, like Tafawa Balewa, Zangon Kataf and Saminaka, you wiped off/displaced entire Muslim communities. In many other cases you killed as many as you can by way of intercepting Muslim travellers, attacking them during prayers, etc. as you did many times in Plateau state.

You were enjoying your violence and playing the victim with the support of Christian press when the Fulani herdsmen conundrum began. The word, “herdsmen” is a misnomer used to avoid ethnic profiling. The correct word is criminals, armed robbers or bandits. These groups of people have no respect for human lives and property. The least they do is to drive their cattle into farms to devour crops and when farmers react, they fight them without mercy.

In the extreme, they attack a village, hamlet or innocent travellers and kill, rape, maim, steal and/or kidnap for ransom. Thanks goodness, the ‘’herdsmen’’ kept you in check as they always return whatever fire you release with multiples of it. Both of you are criminals, but they are more vicious and sophisticated. This is even as it is in record that your youth allegedly received training in Israel to fight Muslims.

In any case, you would agree with me that I have suffered from banditry more than you did. The whole thing began in Zamfara and spread to Katsina, Sokoto, Niger and Kaduna before it reached Plateau and Southern Kaduna. Yet, you go about lying that your fellow criminals are Muslims carrying out genocide against Christians. Your shamelessness is awful.

Once more, accept my congratulations. Your lies have paid. You may, however, be disappointed to know that Americans have never solved any problem. Whichever country they enter would be worse off after they leave it, except Afghanistan where they were shamed out. Should they come in here, we are determined to resist and drive them out like they were driven out of Afghanistan. We shall die honourably or triumph with grace, in sha Allah. For us, submission to the enemy is not an option.

Finally, let me note that there are many exceptions to the above. I have respect for peace lovers among Northern Christians; and there are many of them.

Abdussamad Umar Jibia