You are on page 1of 29

7 Letters to Boko Haram First Published 2012 Copyright Usman Balarabe Aliyu Year Reprinted ISBN 978-978- Number

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction in any medium of this book, in whole or in part, is prohibited without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publishers prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Printed and Published by: Usana Publishing Company Limited, Usana Complex, 39/41 Broadcasting Road, P.O. Box 1584 Minna Nigeria mailto:usana.minna@yahoo.com

7 OPEN LETTERS TO BOKO HARAM


By Usman Balarabe Aliyu

Public Issues Series 3 Usana Complex Minna: 17.06.2012

ii

Brief on the Series:


There are other books in this series: America Vs Islam Revelation & Science Road to Sharia 7 Open Letters to Boko Haram Each of these books explores certain topical issues. In this book, the first in the series In the second book In the third book of the series In the fourth book Current Title, so introduced:

Usman Aliyu Year So pondered thus: A poem or a wise saying

iii

The author lived thus; Usman Aliyu was born of Aliyu Mu'azu, Sarkin Yakin Minna, and a fairly quiet lady, Amina Usa, on Wednesday June 17, 1953 in Minna, Niger State. His Academic quest ran thus: Elementary Education, Minna and Sokoto: 1960 - 66 Secondary Education, Birnin Kebbi: 1967-71 Higher School Certificate (HSC): 1972 -73, Sokoto Bachelors Degree (BA), (ABU) Kano: 1974 -77 Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in 1982, (STP) London. His other engagements were: Co-operatives, Abuja until June, 1972. National Youth Service (NYSC) 1977-78, Lagos. Employment with (NTA) from 1978-84, Minna. Film Production, Usana Complex Minna 1984-96. Bricks Manufacture, 1997-2006, Minna and Funtua. His authorial endeavour: Gone missing, ISBN 978-978-8200-14-7: Adventure 1 Eye for Order, ISBN 978-978-084-699-2 Adventure 2 A Widows Dew, ISBN 978-978-085-658-8 Adventure 3 Beyond Guilt, ISBN 978-978-085-824-7 Adventure 4 Retailing Power, ISBN 978-978-087-272-4 Drama The Children of the Republic, ISBN 978-978-088-779-7 Loners Flash, ISBN 978-978-088-990-6 Poetry America Vs Islam, ISBN 978-978Revelation & Science, ISBN 978-978Road to Sharia, ISBN 978-9787 Open Letters to Boko Haram, ISBN 978-978Usman Aliyu was a family man with children. iv

At death, his epitaph was; Allow me cry, God, for those who cant cry Make me be heard for those who cant be Let me die free, Let me not live in chains. I thank you, God, for allowing me be All that I had wanted to be

Dedicated thus; To all those who lost their lives, health, honour and property in the current conflict

xvii-vi-llxii

I THE FIRST OPEN LETTER TO JAMMA'ATU AHLIS SUNNAH WADDA'AWATI WAL JIHAD [Generally referred to as BOKO HARAM] Salamun Alaikum wa Rahmatil Lahi wa Barakatuhu I do not think I know any one of you. Nor do I know your late leader Sheik Yusuf, may God have mercy on him, personally. I have no other way of communicating this to you but through this forum, hoping some of you might be able to get it. As I Muslim, I am obliged to participate in anything that is ordering for ma'aruf and preventing munkar. As a Northerner, I must also feel for all the blood being shed around me. Therefore, I hope Allah will bring understanding peace among his servants. ISSUES: From the onset, to my understanding of the ongoing, you have 5 central issues at stake: 1- the duty to call to the way of Allah 2- to get redress for the killing of your leader and your people 3- to free those of your members from detention 4- to get compensation for the honour of your women violated 5- to be redressed for your property destroyed 6- Finally, to receive apology from your Muslim brothers for not coming to your side or your aid when you were being attacked in Maiduguri. I don't know much what is in your mind, but I strongly believe the above are your strongest demands. I hope to address these items one at a time. I am neither an official of any government nor a representative of any one, but a Muslim who will stand, on the judgement day, before Allah and be asked of what I did or did not do to advance 'sulhu' between sections of the Muslim Ummah. Item 1 - the call to Islam and the need for Sharia All Muslims are aware of the need to have their lives regulated 9

by the Sharia. And all of us hope that, one day, we will be able to achieve that goal. 'We are Muslims; we need Sharia in the north.' Yes, it is the legitimate right, of all of us, not only to say so but also to demand thus. However, that goal needs to be carefully sorted out. 'Call to the way of your Lord bil hikma'. We need to understand certain facts on this. Doing which will pave the way for an amicable resolutions of the issues involved. The Facts on Nigeria Now: Nigeria is a sovereign country, with a federal constitution that recognizes and accepts only geographical demarcations and individual identity. The Nigerian constitution does not recognize ethnicity or religion as basis of classification. All religious and tribal affiliations are tolerable liabilities that must be phased out gradually. In reality, the people of Nigeria are of various tribes and religious tinting. That notwithstanding, Nigeria, whether under the soldiers or the politicians, is an avouched nation-state. A Nation-State views God as an idea, a temporality, just a phase in the schedule of human dynamic evolution to the ultimate state of perfection. It is man not God that is truism in this philosophy of the materialistic Europe. That was the legacy concocted for us in 1914. Nigeria is a nation being nestled, jealously and precariously being preserved. A Muslim in a modern state is branded a citizen first before being allowed to claim God as his second non-authoritative master, even this, he is tempted to disown at liberty. Through propaganda and education, the Muslims have yielded their political power to erect structures that obstruct the very fountain of their pride and strength. This is a fact. Nationalism is the Alfa and Omega of the Nigerian State. All energy and resources are expendable for the achievement of a unified nation. It demands allegiance, loyalty, and the finality of adherence. It asks for the ultimate sacrifice, death in defence of the fatherland. Nationalism is the religion and the nation is the god. This is a constitutional fact. 10

Yet to man, even Nationalism is a temporary convenience toward the celebration and the worship of the Self. He initially needed the nation as a powerful stage to launch himself to a position of godhead. This was what Pharaoh did in Egypt claiming to be God. It is the same with all despots. This trend has finally reached the common people. With the coming of new technologies, and the ease of broadcasting evil, the collective interest is collapsing. The nation states are disbanding, giving way to the unlimited individual liberty and freedom to pursue lust to extremity. Man is free to hold no religion, for he is his own god; he has no morality, no conscience other than his passion. This is the age of the people of Lot, the age of Homosexuals and Lesbians. It is the age of the people of Shu'aibu, when man in pursuit of wealth can commit any crime. Now is the time of the people of Ibrahim, when collectively the people can fry any one calling to the way of God. This is equivalent to the period of Isa 'bni Maryam, where there are too many scholars and preachers with little or no iman or adherence. The Ultimate goal of all Nations is to use the instrument of power at their disposal for the protection of the individual rights, lusts and responsibility. Therefore, in the present circumstance, a Muslim in Nigeria has two choices open to him. 1-He or she may accept the status of a minority and be subdued to the mere ritual of the Sharia, hoping to win converts for a later day, re-enacting the Prophets Muslim community in Mecca at the beginning of his ministry. 2-Alternatively, they may migrate to any land where, instead of Nation, God is worshipped according to the Sharia. Equally, the states in Nigeria have the same choices in a more constrained similitude. 1-Remain confederated, operating the same constitution, preserving the sovereignty of the Nation, implementing some constitutionally acceptable injections of the Sharia, [of course this is not the Sharia given to Rasulul Lah, Muhammad, [Sallal Lahu Alaihi]. The States may use this period for incubation, smoothening off the 11

differences, forming the Ummah, halting the moral decay, preserving the institutions, and breeding the next generation of God-loving people. 2-On the other hand, after assessment of all possibilities, the states may choose to call for a National or Constitutional Conference or Dialogue. The National Conference is to evolve a new confederate constitution that will allow all the states to exist in a loose federation, operating divergent political philosophies. [Of course this is not the spirit of Nationalism]. WHICH WAY IS IT? I expect you know that Allah does not like impatience, nor does he command coercion in such matter as this which involves the whole community; shura is an attribute of the believers. There are millions of Muslims who love Allah in this place. You have to give them a chance to express their opinion. After all, whatever you do affects us all. Will you like to be responsible for bringing hardship on those 'bayin Allah'? No. But, at the moment, that is definitely what you are up to, with your men going about, minds set for martyrdom, desperately seeking for people and places to blow up! II THE SECOND OPEN LETTER TO JAMMA'ATU AHLIS SUNNAH WADDA'AWATI WAL JIHAD [Generally referred to as BOKO HARAM] Salamun Alaikum wa Rahmatil Lahi wa Barakatuhu I hope my first letter has been seen by any one of you. If this is the first to get to you, then look for its predecessor. That letter deals with what I presumed to be your first key demand, thats, the introduction of Sharia. I want to remind you of the fact that no Muslim, looking for a meeting with his Lord, will object to your objective, but you will differ much on the approach of achieving it. 12

Do not forget that the Ummah is made not just of men, courageous ones bracing with guns only, but also of elderly, the weak, the sick, the women and the young. If you have the bravura and the means to fight, millions among us have not got that privilege. If you are desirous of dying with shahadat, know that for some of you who are versed in knowledge, you will be depriving the Ummah of that blessing. Remember what happened to the Hafizun; if all of them had gone out to die for love of martyrdom, before the Quran was compiled, we would have had no Qur'an now to read. So, be considerate. While you want the good for yourselves, wish the same for all of us. Beside your loss, we are losing many more non-fighting youth too. Our Ummah will come to be worse for it! RESOLVING THE DILEMMA Any person or group, learned or not, citizen or governor agitating for Sharia must know and reflect on certain observations relating to this matter. Foremost, they need to have much patience and lots of knowledge to map up worthy strategies; it takes time to attain an enduring social transformation. God used over twenty years to transform the people under his chosen Messenger. How long do you think it will take you? The Facts about our Ummah: i- Our society is now divided into sects, hating and warring against each other; yet, unity among the Ummah is central for the Sharia. There must be an agreeable code of practice applicable to all. ii- Sharia is not what the leaders want but what God wants. Therefore, leaders cannot select or reject from the Sharia according to their wishes. We have armful examples of countries that created rosy names for themselves, attaching few Ayahs to their flags or buildings, yet because they had been selective of portions to implement, God has left them prey to their mentors. They are neither worldly applauded nor spiritually strong. iii- You need to consult with the people. There must be much explanation to them of the full implication of adapting a new way of 13

life. Taqwa is not enforced but attained, willingly wanting right, knowing it and doing it, voluntarily by the individual in a group or in isolation. Therefore time is needed to attain this. iv- All fields of activity will presumably be affected: the markets, the banks, the schools, the hospitals, the offices and the entire administration machinery. The courts and the law-enforcement agencies, the homes and the mosques will have to be tuned to the new order. In spite of your strong desire for change, you have to get the governments, the existing ones, despite your aversion for them, to draw a comprehensive blueprint for implementation. You do not just jump into reform without a plan. The way you go blowing things up, if you destroy the current structure, on what will you build? v- I am sure you know that Sharia is not just about the cutting of arms, stoning of the adulterer or whipping of the drunkard or the liar, it is much about submitting to God wholly and totally in all things, at all times and in all places. Allah [Subhanahu wa taala] does not derive pleasure in punishment, nor should any mortal arrogate that to himself. The Punishment in the Sharia is essentially for reform, for deterrence, for purging and a way of return to the Lord. It is disheartening that the present day Muslims are so full of self-confidence that, at acquiring power, the first thing they do is to brandish the cutting of arms. as if to say there is nothing good in Islam but cruelty, thus scaring people away from Islam, and from reaching out to God. vi- The leaders must aim at truth, fairness and justice; that is the spirit of Sharia as against Kufr. We are well aware of the trends of injustices and judicial discrimination on favouritism and gratification that characterize our society at present. These must be stopped for justice to sprout. Though people yearn for the Sharia, hoping to have some relief, they hardly realise that change is a collective responsibility. The essence of Islam is to make man recognize evil to hate it, not force him to leave it while loving it. It is not the aim of the Sharia to just relocate beer parlours, send fornication and adultery underground, or separate full-grown girls in schools yet discouraging marriage, or amputate the limbs of the 14

hunger-stricken thief while decorating defrauders. Sharia seeks to reform man, to make him submit willingly and totalling to God. vii- As much as you want this reform, you must be unhurried to build but not to destroy the Ummah by bedlam sequel to uncoordinated idea implementation. At the moment, you are making every one your enemy; probably, thinking everyone lacks belief or devotion. So, you fight all. You must fight the temptation of making yourselves think that only you can bring change, or that must take place within your lifetime. viii- The people must know that one-day they may have to defend their faith with their properties and their lives, for they shall be fought. Therefore, they need time to prepare for this. ix- Have you planned for the influx of other submissive Muslims from other parts of Nigeria or beyond, reliving Medina in our time? In this will be the test your strength and of tolerance; Islam is not a tribal affair. The Ummah must be generous, amiable and supportive, and they must erase their tribal loyalties and idiosyncrasies. Of course, each new comer, like the newly born, will arrive with his own allocation of Rahma both in knowledge and in material resources. Before long the new Ummah will attain specialty in trade, defence and many other spheres of human enterprise. Is this what you are aiming at? x- The newly formed society of believers must be prepared for all that is coming, favourable or otherwise, sequel to their action on this matter. To be with God means to be vigilant, courageous, patient and industrious. It calls for being constant and consistent, mindful and resilient, yet thoughtful and daring. There will be trials both for the Ummah and for the individual. Therefore, you must be mindful of what you do now. The call for Sharia is not a small issue; it is a serious life time business. You certainly would not like to weaken the Muslims, with all these bombings and a heightened sense of fear and insecurity; would you? Peace be upon those who seek Guidance. 15

III THE THIRD OPEN LETTER TO JAMMA'ATU AHLIS SUNNAH WADDA'AWATI WAL JIHAD [Generally referred to as BOKO HARAM] Salamun Alaikum wa Rahmatil Lahi wa Barakatuhu This is my third letter to you. I am not sure if you had seen the first or the second. As I said, I am not anybodys representative, nor do I even know any one of you. But, it is one of my duties, while I am alive, to fulfil one of God's injections, 'la khaira fi kasirin min najwahum illa man amara bi sadaqatin au marufin au islahin bainan nas'. Therefore bear with me. You have been calling for Sharia, so have many of us. Men of understanding have been doing that through all the generations of the prophets sent by God. Those against Sharia had also been busy since then. It is an unending struggle. You were not the first, you won't be the last. But, you will be recorded as having tried your best. That is for God to judge. However, for a Muslim who knows his religion, he needs no house of assembly to legislate Sharia for him; he is always practising it. What he needs from the community is safeguards in mutual transactions. So, you cannot destroy the Ummah and any potential believers, in your anger. Do not do injustice in your fury. At the end, whatever happens, the living are those who practice Sharia, not the dead. You need the living not the dead. If you blow or blast all of us, what benefit will that be to anybody? The four pieces coming relate to areas you need to consider. 1- the Politics of Sharia, 2- Diplomacy of Sharia, 3Economics of Sharia and 4- Education in Sharia. THE POLITICS OF SHARIA The Steps to Sharia Implementation At the moment, the Government being the depository of the instrument of power has a great role to perform. Whatever is done must be within the framework of the Sharia, though. We are aware 16

of the fact that the current State is itself an Andadan to God. It does not recognize God as the Lawgiver. It has Assemblies and Parliaments as originators of law. It claims sovereignty. Its lawmaking body claims supremacy, and its law-book claims exclusiveness, it accepts nothing aberrant to its statutes. It is obvious therefore that the state will do nothing to make submission to Allah easy! But, assuming, as in all democracies, that is, if you stop blowing up the people, the majority can call for the Sharia. If that were to happen, the following steps would be guides. Step One The head of the government must call for an internal forum, inviting all those sectarian groups in the society claiming Islam to be their religion. Here they must iron out their 'Dariqatal' Orientations and reconcile their differences. They must come out of this exercise as a united body. They must have a single pivot, focusing on the central theme of the Sharia. It is understood that a divided Ummah is of no use to anybody. Step Two The second conference is to assess the now reconciled Ummah. The geographical, numerical and economic standing of the society would be appraised, determining the viability of the separate existence of the Ummah, should that be necessary. There should be no illusion about this. No one can conceive of the acceptance of Sharia, as Sharia into a Nation-State Constitution. The evaluation is essential for the Sharia has already mapped out the relationship of neighbours for an Ummah. a-[Minority Status] - Where the Muslims are few and weak, living within a non-submissive system, they remain within it as long that does not prevent them from submitting to God. If they face steep opposition, or obstruction to total submission, they should migrate to a more favourable environment. This is exemplified by the Muslims' stay in Mecca. Some would argue with you that the Nigerian Constitution has granted freedom of worship. Certainly, we 17

all know that, but it is limited worship, as long as that does not infringe on the constitution. Without doubt, Allah needs no bodys permission to demand full worship from his creatures! b- [Majority Status]- Where the Muslims are many or few but strong or in the majority, they must submit totally and wholly as an Ummah to the Will of Allah, enforcing Maaruf and preventing Munkar with all the instrument of power at their disposal. This is done, though, on a structured fashion, with all the machinery of government set in place. It is not the work or the responsibility of a few self-appointed groups. Step Three There must be a third conference; this serves as a forum for resolving the very nature of the State. The position and roles of those who do not belong to the Ummah will be spelt out. They have the option of staying to be protected by the Ummah, without discrimination or injustice, or they may depart receiving compensation for whatever they leave behind. The Ummah must plan for either, to avoid disruptions within the fabric of the society. There should be no riot, but a deliberate and programmed dissolution of the union now called Nigeria and a fusion of new agreeable entities. Now will be the time to make dedications, acknowledging Allah and according him all that have been wrongly assigned to someone or something else. The State must affirm the Shahadah, replacing the anthem and pledge and all those symbols representing ethnicity and nationalism. It must institute respect for all the Shaairal Lah. Step Four The Consultative Assembly, or by whatever name it is called, must be based on the premise of the Sharia. These are people in place for piety, knowledge and hard-work. Whether they are elected, selected or appointed, they should not be narrow-minded or vainglorious. Theirs is more of interpreting the letter and the spirit of the law, conscious of the evolution of time and space. They 18

legislate under Allahs guidance. They will have good pay but they should take no bribe or exert undue privileges. Determining the place of the traditional rulers in an Islamic setting must be very appropriate at this stage. We all are aware of the fact that the Prophet, [Sallal Lahu Alaihi wa Sallam] did not bequest power to his next-of-kin. Even though he indicated his preference for Sayyidina Abubakar, he allowed the people to choose their own leaders after him. That was the tradition of the Muslim State up to Sayyidina Ali. From then on, it was metamorphosed into a genealogy. Close at home, Mujaddadi Dan Fodio was equally elected by the people and so confirmed as the Amirul Muminin. He appointed deputies but never donated the land as cache for his progeny. Setting this matter will be central to enduring existence and survival of the Ummah under Sharia. Who will be the Amirul Muminin of the coming Ummah? There is no way, in any system, where you can have multiple rulers with equal claims, let alone in Islam, which is a system of perfection. Will it be an elected governor under the Nigeria constitution, re-affirmed by the Ummah, or a traditional ruler appointed by the governor, reaffirmed by the Ummah or any other cleric accepted as learned and fitting to lead the Ummah, spiritual and temporal? Finally, if all these raging issues are smoothened, amicably, without rancour or civil strife, all the arms of government and the various segments of the society must then be made to reflect the new spirit of submission to Allahs will. By now, I assume, you know that what you are calling for is a long process. It is something that does not happen overnight. Neither is it something that is likely to come though bomb-blasts and bracing gunfire! If you hurry it, by scaring people into submission with your murderous escapades, you will end up creating Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Mali, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Pakistan in a single place, the North. Would you want your people to be in perpetual disorder, commotion, strife and blood-shedding? No. You can't afford to be held responsible for that, I am sure. 19

IV THE FOURTH OPEN LETTER TO JAMMA'ATU AHLIS SUNNAH WADDA'AWATI WAL JIHAD [Generally referred to as BOKO HARAM] Salamun Alaikum wa Rahmatil Lahi wa Barakatuhu The aim of these letters, in an open forum, is to let you, hoping you see them, realise that the task you set yourselves is not exclusive to you. All Muslims are supposed to be participants. But, either because of circumstance of events or your own choice, you have alienated the majority of Muslims from what is to be a public issue. Your individual demands aside, the essence of your struggle is also ours. We cannot agree, because you have given us no choice, to sit and fashion the way out for our troubled region and faith. Before you emerged, the North was suffering and crying; after you came up, the North is now in disarray and bleeding. Can this be the reward from God for people who call on Him day and Night? I take to write to you to ask you to put a break to hear the cry of the innocent, the ones being wronged, just as you had been wronged, for there is no barrier between their prayer and its acceptance with God. You want Sharia, we too want Sharia. But, it cannot come the way you envisage it must be. There are other ways, better ways; we thank Allah for that favour. In here I explore some of those alternative avenues. THE DIPLOMACY OF SHARIA The Neighbourhood of the Muslims In the Sharia, humanity is classified on the basis of Din (Way of life) not on tribe, race, language, colour, physique, wealth, sex or age. Subsequently, there are two parties only: the Party of God and the other, the party of Tdagut, anything other than God. The two parties are contentiously opposed. They differ in their aims and objectives as in their means and methods of actualizing their goals. Their barometer of accomplishment is also different. While the Party of God is gauged through Sharia, which is divine and eternal, the other 20

party is whimsical, shifting goals and goal posts according to the fancies of its members or its leaders. The diplomatic parameters of a Muslim State are well defined. The intent is to make human being free from physical, mental and spiritual bondage to anything other than Allah. The non-MuslimState on the other hand aims to subjugate man under all pressures: economic, political, cultural and national, and finally to his own ego. The Muslims have two kinds of neighbours, as a result: 1. A non-Muslim state or community with peace with them 2. A non-Muslim state or community at war with them The first instance is when mutual understanding is established between the Muslims and the non-Muslims for commerce, technical assistance or non-aggression. The Second instance is where there is no pack or any agreement, and there is no peace. In fact, these neighbours are steep in hatred for the Muslims, waiting for the slightest opportunity to strike them. To each of these two conditions, the Sharia has provided armful legislation as to their rights and obligations. The Muslims are not supposed to be hawkish, nor are they simpletons. They should prepare for any attack and be fit to retaliate, or be ready to foil attempts of the treacherous or the goad of the troublemaker. They should honour treaties as long as the other party sustains it. God has sent Iron as weapons for the defence of Truth and the Muslims should not allow the wicked the monopoly of strength. They should be economically viable, technologically advanced and militarily formidable. These things take time, effort and resources to bring about. They also require well articulate programs to achieve them. The Muslims should be at the giving end, not the constant recipients of mockery or charity. With a moderately curved desire for lavishness, yet with a sustained zeal for useful work, the productive capacity of the Muslims should be channelled to propagate the message of God, thus advancing man in both his material and spiritual endeavour. The Muslim is heavily indebted to his neighbours, whether of his kind or the other, in this regard. The Sharia guarantees the rights of the non-Muslims in all 21

respects. Their places of worship, their businesses and their honour are jealously guided against abuse. Therefore, mixing of people is a favour of Allah to mankind. Your current spite on our non-Muslim neighbours has caused much consternation in the minds of your brothers about our declared goals. If the non-Muslims refer their disputes to the Muslims, be it among themselves or between them and the Muslims, the instruction is 'judge between them by what Allah has sent down'. Prophet Muhammad, [SAW] had been sent as a mercy and blessing for all mankind. It is much through justice and fairness that the sweetness of the Sharia is vindicated. If the Christians are up against Sharia now, it is because those presenting Sharia have done so inappropriately. The Christians have seen nothing to convince them of the sense of any fair-play of those Muslims around them. The Nigerian Muslim has not done justice to his cause. He has descended so low as to be the laziest and the cheat. He is wicked even to his own. He has become parasitic and disunited. Would you add bloodthirsty to our attribute? Any people without a Book are Pagans. They may be animists or atheists. As long as they do not profess faith to any revelation from God and attach themselves therein, they have no body of laws on which the Muslims can allow them freedom to exercise. They either convert or they leave. Were the Muslims to discharge their responsibility according to the Sharia, the non-believers would have wished they had believed. Islam is the only granter of untainted human right; it discriminates on nothing on which man has no ability to control: his race, colour, sex, parentage, wealth, health, land, time, in all things but his belief. Even on this his belief is guarded against forceful violation and he receives more than he may ever deserve. With the above in mind, I certainly will expect you to respect our feelings as your brothers and sisters in faith, to safeguard our lives and property, and to extend kindness to all human beings as servants of God. I understand the cause of your anger but I cannot accept the ferocity of your reaction. You have opened too many war22

fronts to allow even the Muslims to have ease of mind. Yet, Sharia is not for the rocks and the trees; it is for people, living people not dead ones. Now is the time to take a break. You have proved your point, you are capable. Reserve that energy for the general good. Don't waste it on vengeance and vendetta. Where will you be when the whole community, the Ummah, needs you for its defence? The dead don't come back here. If you weaken your people and you are gone, what would you like those you left behind to be, slaves? V THE FIFTH OPEN LETTER TO JAMMA'ATU AHLIS SUNNAH WADDA'AWATI WAL JIHAD [Generally referred to as BOKO HARAM] Salamun Alaikum wa Rahmatil Lahi wa Barakatuhu I had previously posted four letters on this forum, with the hope that some of you might see them. In composing these letters, I have drawn extracts from a book I wrote, titled 'Road to Sharia'. It was meant to highlight some issues on the introduction of Sharia in the Northern States of Nigeria, as some of the then governors started to do. Since they were in haste, the project created much disharmony, resulting in some places into clashes and loss of lives. Now, you have set a task of insisting for Sharia to be introduced in the Northern states. Fair enough, all Muslims want that. But no one will go along with you if you insist on forcing it with bombs and bullets. For one, you would at the end have destroyed the place! You are now causing disaffection for the project. You are also destroying any hope of living in peace with our neighbours. So, one aim of my letters is to let you know that no one quarrels with your hopes and aspirations, but we are not in agreement with your methods. If you are doing it seeking God's pleasure and for the benefit of the people, then you need the people to understand you, to support you and to follow what you hope to be introduced. The 23

way it is now, blood is being shed, lives being wasted, hatred and fear being spread. You need to put a break, to call back your army to allow the resolution of the conflict in a way that will benefit everyone. Let me reinstate that I am nobody's delegate or representative, but one looking for 'islaha' within my ability. ECONOMICS OF THE SHARIA Have you considered the preparedness of the Muslims in the North to go it alone through the Path of Sharia? The general productive capacity of our people has drastically declined. The society has gone a begging, waiting for droppings from the viable activities of others. We are left to the recollection of the good old days, as if for us the clock has stopped ticking. If the Muslim north had had a past glory of agricultural productivity before, it has now become barren and desolate. Our youth now have become quite timid, unimaginative and naive. They are excessive for easy money and are involved in useless pursuits. Selfishness and wickedness have replaced the old known values of kindness and constructive co-operation. They are now deep in drugs and a life of unrestrained promiscuity. Some have become withdrawn, disillusioned and broken-hearted. Thus our society has succeeded in raising youth without ambition or vision: and with this kind of youth, the future does not look bright. Yet, even the elders are no better. Immersed in the pursuit of ease and pleasure, the grown-ups in the society have lost good cultural values. Overnight millionaires have cropped up; cruising in false sense of achievement, they are praised by a hungry populace. Added to the above, now, there are free lethal weapons for the criminals and the wicked. This societal decay has made many a northerner to call for the Sharia, because they see in it the prospects of curving down the malice. This, certainly, is a nightmare for anyone calling people back to the path of peace. Well, this piece examines the Economics of Sharia. The aim is to fine tune a likely future society that will be fully active in the 24

economic spheres through the guideline of Islam. Anyone yearning for Sharia must know that grafting changes would be ineffectual; rather, the whole structure will have to be dismantled and rebuilt afresh. Conversely, we must aim at building for the next Twenty-five years. No doubt, you need peace and quiet to do it! The Building Blocks The steps necessary to take can be briefly listed as: Preparatory: defining development goals and objectives Establishment: setting up economic activities Operation: running businesses for reaping benefits Objectives: The first and most important ingredient for success in this field for the Muslims is to define the objectives. There is a world of difference between the Muslim and non-Muslim pursuit of development. The non-Muslim is driven by the self-gratification as ultimate: researching and producing as dictated by profitability measured in monetary terms. Morality or ethics do not count. Monetary profitability is the goal and all means are justified. The Muslim, on the other hand, seeks to maximum growth for the public good in those things permitted only by the Sharia. Therefore, his criterion of achievement is not just the figures at the end of business, but the inner tranquillity that his efforts have been generated toward earning Allahs Pleasure. Ours should be to discourage wastage and consumerism, to encourage durability and productivity. The economic indexes are therefore afar, different and in antithesis. Industrial Base In pursuit of growth, the Sharia States are restricted to legitimate trade and commerce in goods and services permissible in Sharia. The drive would be to allow the members of the Ummah to engage in industrial activities that are labour intensive initially to get the 25

bulk of the population fully employed. The governments' primary concern should be in regulation and provision of amenities equitably, and efficiently. Islamic government is very much a small government, open, less bureaucratic, honest and efficient. The work of such a government is to create conducive atmosphere for people to seek the bounties of God, "Fadlul Lah". The talents, funds and resources of Muslims moving in from other parts of the 'country' or the world at large would be of great benefit to all. Operations There is a great difference between the operation of businesses and Industries in an Islamic State as against the non-Muslim economy. The hours of work, the prayer breaks, the working environment, the seasonal breaks for fasting and Hajj, the gender issues, and many of these things peculiar to Islam must be planned for and accommodated within the industrial and administrative setup. Our untapped human and material resources must be properly harnessed for the tasks ahead. No one should be left to live in beggary without trade or profession. Islam is not a lazy religion. We must make the Way of Our Lord look good for us and enticing for others to follow. It is the Islamic dictate to be highly and efficiently productive, yet mildly and sparingly consuming. Thus the surplus goes to those in need yet incapable of meeting up. With our people under-educated, malnourished, without medical facilities and without work or strength, the Ummah would be a terrible liability. Without a strong economic base, social unrest would ensure. Sharia is not dying in want, but living and enjoying the bounties of Allah. Sharia is the celebration of Allah's glory for all the good things He has provided for us. Sharia is not oppression but a release from degradation. Sharia is not an enemy to man but a relief. Sharia, when instituted correctly, is the only granter of security for man against his own aggression, of his neighbours, and even of the natural elements. Finally, it secures his future life against punishment and disgrace. 26

VI THE SIXTH OPEN LETTER TO JAMMA'ATU AHLIS SUNNAH WADDA'AWATI WAL JIHAD [Generally referred to as BOKO HARAM] Salamun Alaikum wa Rahmatil Lahi wa Barakatuhu My sixth letter to you is to address an issue that makes people nervous about you. I don't mean just the bombs and the bullets, but education. Your group has become synonymous with backwardness, because, it is said you hate education, western education; that's why you are referred to as 'boko haram'. I have heard an interview given by your late leader, and I heard his explanation on this topic. He refuted, as false, the claim that he instructed his followers not to pursue education. He said some of you were graduates with certificates. What he was against, he explained, was the way the education was given. He said he was against some of the scientific claims which run counter to the teachings of the Qur'an and Hadith. Fair enough. You need to come out to allay the fears of people on this. We have heard what Taliban of Afghanistan did to schools, and people are certainly wary of a repeat of that in the north. THE EDUCATION IN SHARIA Quran Education at Present From Sokoto to Lokoja, Maiduguri to Bida you find a collection of children, mostly boys, shabbily dressed, ill fed, unkempt, and unhealthy, presumably students of Islam! This pitiful sight has become accepted as the logo of the Muslim-north. They roam the markets and the streets, plastic bowls tagged under their dirty armpits. Late at night you sight them trooping toward the shantytowns where their mentors are. These kids have left their parents long time ago from various unspecified locations. Many shall never see their parents again. Many had, in fact, not known their parents for long. They linger in this condition, growing up with 27

neither education nor manners, without trades, without hope. Yet, the authorities ignore their plight. The general assumption always is that this is the Islamic way of doing things, without order, without plan or regulation, without evaluation or need for improvement. The consequence of this is damaging. The kids are not trained for heaven or for earth. The majority ends up being thrown to life, at puberty, without Quran without trade. They become handy for the devil to pick. Now, with the ungodly drive to be rich, these helpless youngsters have become a tap of sacrificial blood and a stock of body parts to be dismembered at ease. Little wonder, then, that neither the Malams nor the rulers or the westernized elite had the sympathy or the interest to discourage this ungodly practice. Knowledge: the Muslims Right The Vanguards of Islam The system of education prevalent with the vanguards of Islam was based on the understanding that all peoples; the young and the elderly, men and women alike, must know and comprehend the Word of God in order to ward off evil and to do good works. Through this, they developed the investigative mind as to find out the splendour of what Allah, [Subhanahu wa taala] has created. The early Muslims were at the vanguard of research, relying heavily on the infallibility of the words of the Quran as it provides in-depth insights into both the physical and spiritual phenomena. This attitude encouraged the Europeans to venture out which later made it possible for them to subjugate the world over. Much of what comes to us from Europe was triggered by the research of some past Muslims. But, the Muslims of the later generation stopped doing research. So we slid into current backwardness! We should now tune our education goal for a brighter future. The Quran is full of commandments from Allah, [Subhanahu wa taala] urging the Muslims "to look, to see, to consider, to reflect, to search, to compare, to understand". Islam was never meant to be a blindfolded or blindfolding religion. The system of education that the Muslim states must evolve in replacement of the chaotic "Zaure" 28

tradition should have the following as basis. 1. Knowledge of the metaphysical for spiritual strength 2. Knowledge of the physical for communal advancement This is the spirit of Islam. The system of education evolved must be well organized and tailored to meet the requirement of the Muslim Ummah. You know that all these cannot be done under curfew, bullet spray or bomb blasts!!! VII THE SEVENTH AND FINAL OPEN LETTER TO JAMMA'ATU AHLIS SUNNAH WADDA'AWATI WAL JIHAD [Generally referred to as BOKO HARAM] Salamun Alaikum wa Rahmatil Lahi wa Barakatuhu ISSUES: To sum up, to my understanding, I pointed out that you have 6 key demands: 1- the duty to call to the way of Allah, 2 -to get redress for the killing of your leader and your people 3- to free those of your members in detention, 4 -to get compensation for the honour of your women violated, 5- to be redressed for your property destroyed, and finally 6- to receive apology from your Muslim brothers for not coming to your aid when you were being attacked in Maiduguri. It has taken six previous letters from me to deal only with the first item. That issue was the trigger of subsequent events till now. Moreover, that, beside your current mode of operation, affects the generality of our people. It is also the one area where, at the moment, the Nigerian Government will not and cannot even consider, let alone negotiate on. It is also a long time proposition which will entail much social enlightenment, acceptance, planning, readjustment and implementation. No hasty declaration of a Sharia state or region will ensure its survival; the internal resistance and the external opposition will be 29

so overwhelming. It will take just a few days for the whole world to assemble, ready to drop the 'mother of all bombs' on the north. You well know, we will not be able to defend ourselves with our bare hands! If we couldn't stand your blasts, how do you expect us to withstand the American 'shock and awe'? On the remaining 5 issues I will suggest that you allow dialogue to take place, please. [Item 2] Redress for the killing of your leader and your peopleWe are all behind you in making this claim. We have seen the video evidence of the atrocities committed by the security people against helpless people; therefore, a- the number of the victims must be ascertained by an independent body b- those security agents responsible for the massacre should be identified, tried and punished c- [diyya] the blood-money must be paid to the victims' relatives I am sure you know that all these cannot be done unless there is some truce. It will cost you nothing to hold your fire while this is going on. [Item 3]- Freeing your members from detentionJust as the government will be held responsible, you also must acknowledge that your members will equally be held responsible for their actions. In your anger, you have caused the death not just of the security agents but also of the innocent, those caught in the crossfire. Islam demands that they too be compensated. Whether, the government does so in our name for peace, or those affected give it away as sadaqat, is another matter. All those people rounded up and detained for no reason should be released and compensated for the period of their detention. [Item 4] - Compensation for the honour of your women violated A thorough investigation should be carried out by an independent body to ascertain the nature and extent of abuse of your female or male members, and find the culprits for punishment. The victims of any sexual abuse should be adequately compensated. I don't think you as Muslims will be found having violated other 30

peoples' women, let alone men, for that matter! [Item 5] - Redress for your property destroyed There should be an independent inquiry into the number and value of material damage done to you. You should subsequently be paid for all your loss. I also know that you people, with all this your bombing campaign, have destroyed property both public and private. There should be a similar assessment. The government can, for the sake of peace, undertake to overlook its own and to settle the private owners their claims, on our behalf. [Item 6] - Finally, you have been mortified by the silence of everyone, especially the Northerners, while your people were being wantonly killed. Many of us were, of course, shocked to see the police carrying out extra-judicial execution while others watch as if it were a circus. Fair enough, all of us have had a taste of hell already. It will cost us nothing to say, 'we are sorry'. Besides, we hope God will forgive us for negligence, after all, he has asked us to do sulhu between our own brothers. So, if receiving apology from your Muslim brothers will appease you to defuse those concocted bombs and lower those crazy guns, be assured we will do it. Of course, you too will ask for our forgiveness for 'rashin kwanciyan hankali' that you brought to us'. Of course, we will gladly forgive you. FINALLY I wished I knew any one of you; I would have delivered these letters personally to his doorstep. I would also have demanded response within days. You would either correct my assumptions, or show me where I erred on the Sunnah. If none, then, you must follow the Sunnah. People want peace, then 'fajnah laha wa tawakatal alal Lah. Innahu huwas Sami'ul Alim.' I expect you to publish your demands, hold your fire and see; you don't even have to come out. 'If they play you the devil, we will play them the hell'. I assure you. Lastly, by now, you know that people, very bad and evil people, 31

are using your name to cause more havoc in the society. Now we have 'bank-boko-haram', 'market-boko-haram', 'church-bokoharam', kidnapping-boko-haram' and 'anything-bad-boko-haram'. It is like you people have given any bad person a license and an excuse to do evil; would you like to be held responsible for this bad innovation? No. But, it is we the Muslims, your brothers in faith who are suffering most. We were poor and suffering before you came, now we are much worse, we are bleeding. Give us a break, please. We don't want our enemies to use this opportunity to bring us further hardship. They are waiting to pounce on us, can't you see? I end my letter by saying, God, you are my witness. I have lived long to experience turmoil in my homeland, the North. God, you know I am an ordinary man, but I have used my understanding through the media you favoured me with to call on those of my brothers who could hear to bring peace to your servants. Thank you, God, for giving me this chance, upon all the favours you have done to me. God, I pray, turn the hearts of the warring to peace. Ameen. Peace be upon those who seek Guidance. Peace be on those who follow the Guidance. Your brother Usman Aliyu 17.06.2012

32

You might also like