Global expert warns Nigeria on Shi’ites’ activities

An international expert on Muslim extremism, Don Pathan, has warned the Nigerian authorities to act fast in designating the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) as “a terrorist organisation before it is too late.”

Pathan gave the warning yesterday in Abuja as Guest Speaker at an international seminar organised by the Save Humanity Advocacy Centre
(SHAC).

According to him, the group’s activities pose a great threat to the sovereignty and the authorities’ continuous indifference towards the sect by tolerating IMN like every other religious groups is akin to playing with a keg of gun powder.

Another speaker, Dr. Oliver Tersoo Agundu, a senior lecturer at the Benue State University, said the IMN had gone designated a terrorist organisation by the United Nations.

He emphasised that “religious fundamentalism in Nigeria, especially the activities of IMN have assumed a destructive dimension threatening peace and stability in Nigeria is a statement of fact that coheres to the actual state of affairs.”

“The IMN as fundamentalists do not believe in individualism, liberty of personal choice or plurality of thought. They do not encourage or enter free debate, they deny others the right to express their own views freely and they cannot tolerate anything which they perceive is going against their faith,” he said.

In his presentation, Dr. Mahfouz Adedimeji whose paper centered his topic on “Religions as a catalyst for peace building, National Integration and conflict Management in Nigeria” identified the population grouping of the global religious sects.

He said conflicts “have been given different names based on the various views of liberal, radical and neo-liberal perspectives.”

Contributing at the conference via Skype from Rome, veteran broadcaster and conflict journalist, John Fiegener, identified the dynamics of religion in all its ramifications as the Middle East serve as the headquarters of the world’s major religions.

Using Iraq as a case study, Mr. Fiegener identified foreign interests working for their interests who eventually end up destabilising the
country.

“The IMN through its activities is tilting towards the same pattern of al-Qaeda and Isis in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria and if nothing is
done to urgently contain the group will plunge the nation into a catastrophe of immense proportion.

“The Nigerian authorities need to take more concrete steps in this direction as it is already stretched by the Boko Haram insurgency,” he
said.

 

 

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