An Islamic human rights group, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has accused Christian leaders in Nigeria of pursuing a selfish agenda for opposing the FRSC bill banning preaching and hawking inside buses.
In a statement issued by the executive director of the civil liberties group, Professor Ishaq Akintola, on Monday, MURIC expressed shock and disbelief over the opposition of Christian leaders to the proposed bill.
The group described Christian opposition to the bill as selfish, myopic and parochial. MURIC urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ignore Christian leaders who oppose the bill prohibiting bus preaching by signing the bill into law.
The group explained that two Christian organisations have opposed the proposed amendment to the Federal Road Safety Corps Bill (FRSC bill) which seeks to criminalise preaching in commercial vehicles.
The Christian bodies, it said they were the Christian Council of Nigeria and the Organisation of African Instituted Churches.
“We are shocked to our marrows that any civilised person (let alone Christian leaders) will oppose an initiative designed to protect Nigerians from road accidents and religious crisis. This opposition is motivated by selfishness, myopism and parochialism.
”It is strange to see that opposition to this progressive idea has come from churches which, ceteris paribus, are full of highly educated people who are supposed to know better. It is another proof that Nigeria is full of educated illiterates.
”Christian leaders know that it is wrong to preach inside commercial buses but they will stop at nothing to achieve their selfish agenda of getting more converts. It is part of Christian aggressive proselitisation and firebrand evangelism.
”It confirms our long-standing suspicion that everything is acceptable to Christian leaders, fair or foul. What they cannot get by the straight, they will take by the bend.
Is it not a shame that Christian bodies will collectively oppose orderliness and brazenly embolden chaos? Only anarchists are expected to oppose a bill aimed at stopping carnage on the roads,” the group said.
“MURIC called out human rights lawyers and all Nigerians of social conscience to speak up on this matter, saying, “They must tell us if preaching inside the bus is more important than protecting the lives of Nigerians and preserving their soberness, their dignity and their humanity. This is about decency in human society. It is not about religion.
”Nobody is allowed to preach inside buses in saner climes. Where in America can we see preachers inside the bus? Nobody will try this inside buses, trams, tubes or trolleys in London, Paris or Frankfurt.
”Under the British Public Order Act 1986, if a street or bus preacher’s conduct causes significant distress, uses inflammatory language, or provokes an angry public response, he can be arrested or moved along for causing a breach of the peace.
”That was why a Nigerian pastor was thrown off a London bus on 3rd December, 2015 for preaching inside the bus.
”On 24th February, 2019, another Nigerian Christian was arrested in London for public disturbance.
“We also have these laws in Nigeria but implementation is the problem. That is why things are not working in our society. We lack respect for social decorum. We disregard rules and regulations.
“We push and struggle instead of joining the queue. We throw thrash on the street and into the gutters instead of using the bins. Funny enough, we pray to God to protect us from flood!
“The churches opposing this bill will also pray for you against road accidents. It is acrobatic religiousity and gymnastic spirituality. Who did this to Nigeria?
”The churches and mosques are enough for us to preach. Why must buses be turned into houses of God? Why? The reason is not far-fetched.
”Christian leaders want millions of converts for material gains, not to serve God. The higher the number converted to Christianity the higher the income through tithes paid by members (Malachi 3:10).
“Of course it also implies the richer the leadership the higher the number of private jets owned by church leaders even though this does not reflect in the economic and social condition of members.
”Christian leaders aim at converting every Muslim in Nigeria to Christianity. It is an open secret that they have nursed a vision of Nigeria for Jesus for decades. Bus preaching by Nigerian Christians was, therefore institutionalised. It was seen as normal.
”In this regard, one of the methods used to achieve that objective is by trapping Muslims in public transports with Christian messages.
“They know that not less than 95 per cent Nigerians use public transport. It is an effective means of spreading hot gospel but it is selfish and anachronistic.
“Preaching inside the bus is a money spinner for Christian leaders because it attracts converts, swells the tithes and builds more billionaire pastors. This explains their fury over the bill prohibiting bus-preaching which has already been approved and awaiting the president’s assent.
”Christian leaders will oppose anything that threatens their agenda of proliferation of churches and multiplication of members. That is why they oppose the FRSC bill on bus preaching.
”We know they will not tell the true story when they report this to America. They are most likely to tell the White House that Christians are not being allowed to preach in Nigeria,” the group added.
MURIC urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ignore Christian leaders who oppose the bill prohibiting bus preaching, saying ”We appeal to Mr. President to sign the bill into law.
”To Nigerian Christian leaders we bring the words of Isaiah: ‘Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.’
”Isaiah 5:20 is a warning against moral perversion and a strong prophetic rebuke against a society that distorts truth and blurs the lines between right and wrong. The question is: Is it worth the while?” it queried.
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