Reining in religious impunity, the example of the Niger

Thursday penultimate, the religious space in the state of the Niger has been shaken by the order that all preachers must obtain licenses before they can propagate their messages. For now, all forms of religious preaching have been prohibited. The declaration could mix the nest of the Calabrone even beyond the state. This should be foreseen in a crazy country of religion where there are multiple centers of worship than the industries and breweries put together.

The Nigerians are so angry in their religions to the extent that they can kill or be killed for religious differences. They are also famous for dedicating the quality and productive moments to prayer, in the belief that the Almighty God has listening ears for billions of throat that roar in supplications every second while sitting comfortably on his throne for some billion kilometers away! And so, any attempt to repeal the communication or friendship process with him should be welcomed with holy anger.

According to the general manager of the religious affairs of the state of the Niger, Umar Farooq, the preachers have two months since last week to get the licenses or not preach anymore. He explained that all the preachers had to do was to get modules and fill them, after which they would have to face a screening panel. The eligibles would therefore be authorized to preach without any left or hindering but within the new order.

The decision attracted fireworks from some neighborhoods. An early striker is the main imam of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Bashir Yankuzo. He said that the government cannot stop preaching, claiming that preaching is a command (from above) and that the government is not paying anyone for having done the work. And that people preach to “gain the pleasure of God. Therefore, the government cannot dictate who to preach and not to preach”.

In other words, since the government does not pay preachers, it cannot dictate the melody! The Imam Bashir, however, clarified that if “there are people who are doing everything to cause threats to security, using violent words and so on, the government can have control over this in order to maintain peace and security”.

Another Islamic scholar, Ustaz Hassan, in his reaction, said that the order “must go to the state assembly for adequate legislative action”.

Even an Islamic journalist and scholar based in Minna, Uthman Siraja, condemned the order, saying “is a violation of religious rights. He claimed that the best thing that the government could do is penalize any preacher who incites the public in the preaching of the cause”.

The Secretary of the Chapter of the State of the Niger of the Christian Association of Nigeria (Can) in his reaction stated that the Christian body is not aware of the new policy or order, promising to find a declaration when it is officially informed.

On the continent, Rwanda stands out as a country with a statute in progress to regulate not only preaching, but also those who should qualify as a preacher. In 2018, the Parliament of the Nation approved a law on preaching by all organizations based on faith (FBO) in that country devastated by once. According to the law, all religious leaders must undergo formation and adhere to the codes of conduct, which require respect for what they called the “Rwandan values”.

Preachers must complete a minimum number of hours of training on the Rwandan history, including the history of the genocide against the Tutsi. Religious institutions must adopt conduct codes that specifically prohibit hatred speeches, discriminatory practices and teachings that undermine national unity. Preaching is also regulated to prohibit teachings and practices that promote divisionism, the ideology of genocide, discrimination or incite violence. The 2018 law requires that shepherds have a degree in theology before they can start their churches. It also requires the FBO to declare subsidies to the Rwanda Governance Board.

Based on this law, any financial support for a FBO must be channeled through the organization of the organization in a bank or a financial institution in Rwanda and not a private account as commonly practiced in Nigeria. The law has given a five -year period for those who are already on duty to acquire qualifications or be started by the Ministry.

The FBOs must be recorded at the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) and comply with various regulations, including construction codes, toilet -health services and financial dissemination requirements. The RGB is responsible for the registration, monitoring and revocation of the FBO legal state that do not respect the law.

The law aims to protect citizens from exploitation by “conmen” and to guarantee safety in prayer homes and curb the spread of misleading teachings, false prophecies and conspiracy theories. It must also generate social cohesion, national unity and construction of peace fought divisionism. In addition, the law is wired to guarantee security, dignity, inclusiveness, legal organization of religious public meetings; Maintain public order, doctrinal integrity and apply the legal framework that governs religious operations.

Rwanda legislators were encouraged to approve the law in the belief that would create the order and controlled the function of the churches, some of which are made up of shepherds led by greed. The disappearance of the law came in the wake of the closure of the government of thousands of churches throughout the country that the authorities have said that they did not respect the safety standards of the building. We remind you that many ecclesial buildings in Nigeria have collapsed dozens of innocent congregates,

Most of the affected in that country were churches belonging to the Pentecostal system widely believed in the gain arm of the body of Christ. The general consensus is that these Pentecostal shepherds live outside their followers. Others are enriched using subsidies intended to support the projects of the Church because there is no responsibility.

Critics are expected to argue that large state control and rigorous requirements could violate constitutional law to religious freedom. Others argued that the educational and registration requirements have constituted a higher burden for FBO compared to other NGOs, potentially creating a disadvantage. There were also concerns that the regulations give the state excessive power to determine legitimate beliefs and religious practices.

In addition, the emphasis on the 1994 Tutsi genocide which consumed over 800,000 lives, the situations that have precipitated the passage of the law in Rwanda are similar to those that are obtained above all in the Nigerian churches. However, he is aware that this country was severely warned on a possible religious war a few years ago due to the white checks that our preachers do not lead to banks, but the cult centers in which every type of messages that could overturn the nation on the precipice vomit.

It is a miracle that Nigeria has not experienced any turmoil during recent 12 -day hostilities between Israel and Iran. Even if the war was fought on social media space, the country was saved from what she lived in the 70s and 80s every time any conflict between the West and the Middle East rubbed us as Christians and Muslims flanked it on the streets. Many who have seen the recent conflict between Israel and Iran as Muslims against Christians has lost the point because most of the Israelis do not even believe in Jesus Christvas the Savior. The Jews are still waiting for the Messiah to slip from heaven to his majesty and glory. It is believed that religious positions in Israel are commercial sites that were born from the ashes of the original spots destroyed after the Holocaust and the huge flight of the Jews from their ancestral houses over a century ago.

The development of Minna will have to face strong resistance from different neighborhoods because we are used to tolerating religious impunity for fear of the recourse by the members of the two faiths. In Christianity, the shepherds who live outside their belief followers will beat the war drum if the government extended the treatment of the Rwanda in Nigeria where every Tomiwa, Dike and Haruna freely enter the ministry. All qualifications they require are: “God called me or ordered me to serve it”. Even doctors, lawyers, architects and Don have abandoned their calls to respond to the “divine order” from above because it is here that quick dollars are guaranteed.

In addition to the reason that informed the decision of the state of the Niger to elaborate the new order, the Nigerians must be saved by these birds of prey in the heads of pastors. Other states (and the federal government?) Should show a keen interest in the command that the government of the state of the Niger has taken and observed closely the drama that is taking place. There will be a strong resistance, without a doubt. As is commonly said among the Yoruba, there will be many noises but the pig must reach Oyo Town!