In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
Praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, may the blessings and peace be upon our beloved master Muhammad, the last of Prophets, on his family, and all his companions.
Dear brothers and sisters! President Donald Trump of America on Saturday said he ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria as he stepped up his allegations that the Nigerian government is failing to rein in the “persecution of Christians” in the country.
The president Trump also warned that he “will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria.”
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” Trump posted on social media. “I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!”
The warning came after Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu earlier on Saturday pushed back on Donald Trump announcing a day earlier that he was designating Nigeria “a country of particular concern” for allegedly failing to rein in the persecution of Christians.
In a social media statement on Saturday, Tinubu said that the characterisation of Nigeria as a religiously intolerant country does not reflect the national reality.
“Religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so,” Tinubu said. “Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it. Nigeria is a country with constitutional guarantees to protect citizens of all faiths.”
Donald Trump on Friday said, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria” and “radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter.”
Donald Trump’s comment came weeks after U.S. Senator Ted Cruz urged Congress to designate Nigeria as a violator of religious freedom with claims of “Christian mass murder.”
Nigeria’s population of 220 million is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims. The country has long faced insecurity from various fronts including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted Muslims it deems not Muslim enough.
Attacks in Nigeria have varying motives. There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups and ethnic clashes.
While Christians are among those targeted, analysts say the majority of victims of armed groups are Muslims in Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north, where most attacks occur.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reiterated the commitment of Nigeria to protect citizens of all religions.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria will continue to defend all citizens, irrespective of race, creed, or religion,” Ebienfa said in a statement on Saturday. “Like America, Nigeria has no option but to celebrate the diversity that is our greatest strength.”
Nigeria was placed on the country of particular concern list by the U.S. for the first time in 2020 over what the State Department called “systematic violations of religious freedom.” The designation, which did not single out attacks on Christians, was lifted in 2023 in what observers saw as a way to improve ties between the countries ahead of then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit.
Respected brothers and sisters! Know that, Islam and Christianity are the two largest religions in the world, with approximately 2.3 billion and 2 billion adherents, respectively.
Christian and Muslim relationships are complex, characterised by both cooperation and conflict throughout history, with modern efforts focusing on dialogue and mutual respect. Key areas of both shared and differing beliefs include the nature of God (trinity vs. strict monotheism) and the divinity of Jesus, though both revere him as a Prophet. The relationship also involves social aspects, where both religions encourage tolerance and good neighbourly conduct, while challenges exist, particularly in interfaith marriage.
Fellow brothers and sisters! Islam and Christianity are the two largest religions in the world, together embraced by more than half of the global population. The relationship between Muslims and Christians therefore holds immense significance for the future of peace, justice, and stability in the world. Sadly, in recent decades we have witnessed growing tensions, misunderstandings, and even violent conflicts between followers of these two faiths—developments that deeply undermine the possibility of genuine interreligious harmony.
To build lasting peace, it is essential to recognise how closely Islam and Christianity are related, especially when compared with other world religions. Both faiths are rooted in the Abrahamic tradition, sharing belief in same God, reverence for many of the same Prophets, an acknowledgment of divine revelation, belief in the Last Day, and accountability in the life to come. Their ethical teachings also strongly converge both emphasise compassion, justice, humility, honesty, service to others, and the pursuit of peace. These commonalities far outweigh the differences.
For this reason, it is evident that the source of conflict is not the religions themselves, but rather the misuse of religion for political, cultural, or sectarian purposes. History shows that leaders and factions on both sides have at times manipulated religious identity to rally support, inflame divisions, or justify power struggles. When faith is exploited in this way, it becomes a tool of conflict rather than a force for reconciliation.
This makes it even more urgent to strengthen religious harmony between Muslims and Christians. Scholars, leaders, and practitioners of both traditions bear a moral responsibility to counteract divisive narratives and instead highlight shared values. Interfaith dialogue should not only be about comparing doctrines but also about building mutual respect, promoting cooperative action on global challenges, and reaffirming the sacred dignity of every human being.
I strongly advocate for the establishment of a Muslim–Christian dialogue platform dedicated to fostering understanding and collaboration. Such initiatives could:
• Correct misconceptions and stereotypes about each faith.
• Emphasise the rich history of coexistence, scholarship, and cultural exchange between Muslims and Christians.
• Encourage joint action on humanitarian, environmental, and social issues that affect all of humanity.
• Remind the world that differences, while real, need not lead to hostility but can instead inspire dialogue and growth.
The perceived divide between Islam and Christianity is often exaggerated. Their teachings stand much closer together than is commonly portrayed. By focusing on what unites rather than what divides, Muslims and Christians can play a decisive role in healing divisions, fostering trust, and laying the foundation for a more peaceful world.
Fellow brothers and sisters! In the noble Qur’an, Christians are often referred to as “People of the Book,” meaning the people who have received and believed in revelations from Allah’s Prophets. The Qur’an contains verses that highlight the commonalities between Christians and Muslims but contains other verses warning Christians against sliding toward polytheism due to their worship of Jesus Christ as God.
These Qur’anic verses serve to establish a sense of kinship and mutual respect between the two faiths while also emphasising theological differences. Understanding these passages can promote dialogue and tolerance between Christian and Muslim communities.
Islam and Christianity have a great deal in common, including some of the same Prophets. Islam, for example, believes Jesus is a Messenger of Allah and that he was born to the Virgin Mary (Maryam)—beliefs surprisingly similar to Christian doctrine.
There are, of course, important differences between the faiths, but for Christians first learning about Islam, or Muslims being introduced to Christianity, there is often a good deal of surprise at just how much the two important faiths share.
Several different passages in the Qur’an speak about the commonalities Muslims share with Christians. Allah Almighty says:
“Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians—whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord. And there will be no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.” [Qur’an, 2:62, Qur’an, 5:69, and many other Quranic verses]
And Allah the Most High says:
“. . . and nearest among them in love to the believers will you find those who say, ‘We are Christians,’ because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant.” [Qur’an, 5:82]
And Allah Almighty says:
“O you who believe! Be helpers of Allah—as Jesus the son of Mary said to the Disciples, ‘Who will be my helpers in (the work of) Allah?’ Said the disciples, ‘We are Allah’s helpers!’ Then a portion of the Children of Israel believed, and a portion disbelieved. But We gave power to those who believed, against their enemies, and they became the ones that prevailed.” [Qur’an, 61:14]
Also Allah the Most High says:
“They are not [all] the same; among the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is a community standing [in obedience], reciting the verses of Allah during periods of the night and prostrating [in prayer].” [Qur’an, 3:113]
This verse is from the noble Qur’an, specifically Surah Ali-Imran, Chapter 3, verse 113.
The preceding Qur’anic verses discuss about the behaviours of some of the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) in more general terms, highlighting their disbelief and some negative actions. This verse 3:113, however, provides a balance by distinguishing between them, acknowledging that not all are the same and that a righteous group exists among them who worship Allah and obey His commands.
Having made clear what many of the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) are like, Allah then explains that there is a group among them who are upright and stand by the truth – not all the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) are the same. Rather, there is a group among them who follow the Religion of Allah: doing as Allah instructs and staying away from what He has prohibited, reading the verses of Allah in the hours of the night, and praying to Him.
Fellow brothers and sisters! Surely, terrorism cannot be born of religion. Terrorism is the product of corrupt minds, hardened hearts, and arrogant egos, and corruption, destruction, and arrogance are unknown to the heart attached to the divine.
Islam is a religion of tolerance and peaceful coexistence with all of humanity both as individuals and communities. Islam views people as honoured creatures without regard for their religion, race, or colour. Allah the Most High says:
“Verily We have honoured the Children of Adam. We carry them on the land and the sea, and have made provision of good things for them, and have preferred them above many of those whom We have created with a marked preferment.” [Qur’an, 17:70]
Islam has come up with a code for relations between Muslims and non-Muslims living in the same society:
“Allah forbids you not those who warred not against you on account of religion and drove you not out from your homes, that you should show them kindness and deal justly with them. Lo! Allah loves the just dealers.” [Qur’an, 60:8]
Allah commands us in this Qur’anic verse to act well towards non-Muslims and not harm them saying, “show them kindness (tabirruhum),” for kindness (birr) is all that is good. It is as if Allah is commanding us, and making it preferable that we cooperate with non-Muslims in all avenues of good.
All who truly know Islam are aware of its concern for global peace, since it made it one of its main pillars. Peace (al-Salam) is one of the names of Allah Most High and it is among His attributes, He said:
“He is Allah, than Whom there is no other Allah, the Sovereign Lord, the Noble One, Peace, the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Majestic, the Compeller, the Superb. Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him).” [Qur’an, 59:23]
He made peace His greeting to His servants and enjoined them to make it their greeting as well; they exchange it whenever they meet, it is their distinguishing mark in the mosque, school, factory, and marketplace. Paradise is named the Abode of Peace: He said:
“For them is the Abode of Peace with their Lord. He will be their Protecting Friend because of what they used to do.” [Qur’an, 6:127]
And the other Qur’anic verses in which “peace” is mentioned are numerous.
Peace has been the distinguishing mark of Muslims in the East and the West from the advent of Islam to this day. It is the greeting that they give other Muslims when they meet each other and when they depart from each other saying, “Assalamu alaikum” (Peace be upon you).
This peace and security is not limited just to Muslims. Muslims believe that all men, regardless of their faith, always posses the right to live in peace and security in Muslim lands. Protecting others from oppression within one’s borders is something that Islam makes mandatory emphasising this and forbidding Muslims to harm or have animosity against those under their protection either by word or deed. Allah the Most High does not love or guide oppressors; He gives them their punishment ahead of time in the world, or leaves them to be punished doubly in the afterlife.
The Qur’anic verses and Prophetic Tradition that mention the impermissibility, grossness, and the evil effects of oppression are many. Prophetic Traditions have been related specifically warning against oppressing non-Muslims who are under the protection of Muslims or possess treaties with them. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever wrongs someone with whom the Muslims have a treaty, denies them their rights, burdens them beyond their capacity, or takes something from them without their good will, I am that person’s adversary on the Day of Judgment.”
Islam encourages peace and security due to the extremely important effect they have on making life stable for humanity and making advancement possible in all fields. In order to comprehend the extent of the effect of peace and security on the advancement of peoples, we need to take a look at the destructive effects of war on peoples, advancement, and development, for as the saying goes:
“The good of something is revealed by its opposites.”
Since the basic components of community development and advancement are the physical well-being of the individuals of the society so that they can fulfill their roles, we find that wars and economic sanctions have a devastating effect on the health and well-being of a community.
Tolerance for adherents of other religions by people whose entire lives are based on a religion by which they have been granted victory and predominance, is something that was previously unknown in the history of religions. This is something to which Westerners themselves bear witness. The knowledgeable French scholar Gustav Le Bon said:
“We have seen from the Qur’anic verses mentioned previously that Muhammad’s magnanimity towards Jews and Christians was most great; something which was not said by the establishers of the religions that predated him like Judaism and Christianity in particular. And we shall see how his deputies followed him in this.”
It is both false and unjust to think that Islam is the cause of terrorism, or to think that it’s only the Christians that are being killed, just because it is carried out by groups who associate themselves with Islam; otherwise this claim would be call for the destruction of all religions.
For example, we know that Christianity calls for love, and that its followers were oppressed at a time when they were weak, but should we consider that the repression and torture of Muslims and Jews which was carried out by the Church in Spain was the result of the teachings of Christianity? The Church took out its anger on the Jews and Muslims due to the spread of the philosophy and thought of Ibn Rushd, especially among the Jews, and ruled that all Jews who did not allow themselves to be baptised were to be expelled from the country. They were allowed to sell their property if they wished, but they were not permitted to take any gold or silver with them when they left, so they were forced to accept trade-goods in return for their property. The Jews left Spain leaving their properties behind them in order to escape with their lives, although many were overcome by hunger and the hardship of travel due to their poverty. The Church also ruled in 1052 CE for the expulsion of all Muslims from Spain and its outlying lands if they did not submit to being baptised. The condition imposed upon them was that they not take a road leading to Muslim lands upon their departure, and whoever went against this order was killed.
We are also loath to blame the Crusades on the teachings of Christianity, and we attempt to differentiate between them and the practices of certain Christian extremists and terrorists. The twentieth century, with all of its revolutionary experiments, including all of the barbarism of the communist and Nazi revolutions, falls short in the face of the atrocities of the Crusades against other Christians; some of them would spread their dead defectors out on the ground as a means of fertilisation! Viedham mentions that these wars were full of atrocities because the theologians were always ready to pour oil on the fire and revive the soldier’s brutality when they were overcome with doubts and weakness. The soldiers may have been brutal, but there were times when they inclined towards mercy; as for the theologians, they considered moderation and mercy a form of treason.
Sheikh Muhammad Abduh says concerning the Inquisition:
“The cruelty of the Inquisition was such that people of that time said it was nearly impossible to be a Christian and die at home in one’s bed.”
He also says:
“Between the years 1481 and 1808 C.E. the courts of the Inquisition judged 340,000 people, 200,000 of whom were burned alive.”
Much closer to us today are the number of Afghan villages that were completely destroyed in order to punish one person (Osama Bin Laden), and the fires are still burning in Baghdad (Iraq) in order to punish one person (Sadam Husein) because he possesses weapons of mass destruction, which have no existence outside of intentional lies.
Similarly the clear and unabashed terrorism practiced by the Zionist entity cannot be blamed on the teachings of Judaism, for all religions came as a mercy to people and a means of spreading justice and forgiveness among them.
This does not mean that we deny the acts of destruction and terror which occur in our secure countries, but they are the result of perverse minds, desolate hearts, and arrogance. Allah Almighty says:
“Behaving arrogantly in the land and plotting evil; and the evil plot only encloses the men who make it.” [Qur’an, 35:43]
In fact the words of Allah nearly apply directly to them when He says:
“And of mankind there is he whose conversation of the life of this word please you (Muhammad), and he calls Allah to witness as to that which is in his heart; yet he is the most rigid of opponents. And when he turns away (from you) his effort in the land is to make mischief therein and to destroy the crops and the cattle; and Allah does not love mischief. And when it is said to him: Be careful of the duty to Allah, pride takes him to sin. Hell will settle his account, an evil resting-place.” [Qur’an, 2:204-206]
While some terrorist groups claim to act in the name of a particular faith, experts and global leaders widely agree that terrorism has no official or inherent religion.
No major world religion inherently promotes or justifies the violence and harm to innocent people that is characteristic of terrorism. Religious scholars and leaders overwhelmingly condemn such acts as a perversion of their faith’s true teachings of peace and compassion.
Individuals and groups from virtually all religious backgrounds, as well as those with secular or atheistic ideologies, have engaged in terrorism for political, social, or ideological reasons. This diversity underscores that the motivation is not faith itself, but a radical interpretation of beliefs or a desire to achieve political goals through violence.
Acts of terrorism are universally condemned across different cultures and belief systems, further demonstrating that it is a fringe activity not tied to the core tenets of any mainstream faith.
The root causes of terrorism are often political grievances, social injustice, economic deprivation, or power struggles, with religion sometimes being used as a tool to mobilise and justify violent actions rather than being the primary cause.
Therefore, terrorism is a political and criminal issue committed by a small number of extremists, not a representation of any religion as a whole.
I always link between terrorism and religion what
We always link between people’s mistakes and religion
But really …!
All heavenly religions beautiful and brilliant
Calls for love, peace and brotherhood among all human beings
But the misconception of some people who is mentally ill to make of these religions appear to be the cause of all the problems of the earth
I believe that terrorism has no religion
And that every man represents himself only
It is much smaller than that religion is a perfectly
I hope always to do when they get angry disgraceful released from bad people… that just get angry from their reaction and from their behaviour despicable
Do not be angry of their religion and all its adherents… This injustice also of another kind…
Therefore, dear brothers and sisters! Know that, terrorism has no religion. Let us all unite and stand together against violence against any race or belief.
Needless to say, It is also important to remember that such monsters have hijacked Islam. They do not represent the religion and Muslims. The Islam I practice, the Islam I know and love prohibits the taking of innocent lives.
Finally, respected brothers and sisters! Know that, a patriot loves their country all the time. May Allah bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria, ameen!
No doubt, Nigeria is our beloved country, and we love our country and extend the right hand of fellowship to the government and all people of Nigeria, and to our President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the government of Nigeria works to serve Nigeria and all her people, irrespective of their ethnic, religious, and regional backgrounds.
We call on the international community to support Nigeria in achieving its security objectives by providing intelligence and other assistance, so that our gallant armed forces, who have worked arm in arm with the armed forces of the United States in places like Liberia and other conflict zones, can create a safe environment for all Nigerians.
These terrorists are not just enemies of Nigerian Muslims, Christians, as well as Nigerians of other faiths, they are also threats to world peace, and Nigeria needs cooperation at this moment, not threat, to deal with them, rather than confrontation.
May Allah bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and may peace, unity, progress and prosperity continue to follow Nigeria. In Allah’s Name, ameen!
And for those unpatriotic people who are defending President Donald Trump and supporting his aggressive threats to our coutry; they should remember, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP DID NOT SAY A DISGRACED GOVERNMENT OR A DISGRACED PARTY… He said a Disgraced country. That I personally considered an insult to the land I buried my parents, the land I was born and the land I want to be buried. If you were born abroad and your parents were buried abroad and you wish to be buried abroad, you would certainly not feel personally offended by calling this land “Disgraced.”
I ask Allah to inspire us with guidance and to give peace to our children, our countries, and the entire Muslim Ummah, ameen!
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Prayers, peace and mercy are upon our beloved master, Muhammad, the son of Abdullah (Peace be upon him), his family and Companions.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@
gmail.com or +2348038289761 or +2348024192217.
