Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has debunked claims that
Nigeria joining the Islamic Coalition against Terror being led by Saudi
Arabia, has a religious affiliation. Onyeama made the clarification
while speaking with State House Correspondence in Abuja today March 7th.
“What I say first of all is that you guys in the media have to be more
responsible in the way you present news. First and foremost, get your
facts right. It has nothing to do with religion as far as Nigeria is
concerned.
We have to look at what the objective is. We face
terror challenges and it’s a global phenomenon. Unfortunately, the
problem we have today is that some of the terrorists groups are claiming
some of the things they are doing is in the name of a particular
religion and it is clear to everybody that this is not the case which is
obviously a concern to people of Islamic faith and Islamic countries
that their religion should be so abused. So, there is naturally a
tendency to show that this has nothing to do with Islam. Terrorism has
nothing to do with Islam. Islamic countries, Islamic people want to be
seen as being in the forefront of the battle against these terrorists to
show also that it has absolutely nothing to do with religion. That’s
what this is all about. So, we are supporting every move to achieve
this, to disabuse people’s minds that some of these terrorists are
speaking in the name of Islam or are Islamic or that there’s anything
about Islamic teaching that somehow condones these barbaric actions.
“I think it’s something we should all get together and we should all
support whoever is working towards it. And that’s what this coalition is
for, to show too that we are a Muslim country, we are Muslims and these
people do not speak for Islam, have nothing to do with Islam. Most of
the victims of these people are Muslims if you look at it. So, that’s
what it is. It has nothing to do with Nigeria, Christianity, Islam. I
think the media should really get the main message across” he said
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