ICC Note: An influential Nigerian Muslim cleric said that Boko Haram is totally a Muslim problem, meaning it is not just for the Christians facing persecuted to have to solve the problem. Sheikh Ahmad Gumi stated that since Boko Haram is an extremist Islamic terrorist group that has stemmed from Islam, Muslims have the responsibility to help combat them. Gumi advocates for peace amongst the religions in Nigeria, which has not existed for decades, as thousands of Christians face increasing persecution and death at the hands of Boko Haram. Muslims must engage with Islamic extremists, rather than simply separating themselves if there is to be any hope of terrorism being defeated, Gumi said.
By Hassan John
05/28/16, Nigeria, (WorldWatch Monitor) – An influential Muslim cleric in Nigeria says the responsibility for dealing with the threat of Boko Haram lies with the Muslim community.
“We [Muslims] have to understand that these people [Boko Haram] are from among us and that the society was not doing enough to bring these elements out,” Sheikh Ahmad Gumi told The Interview magazine. “We have to reflect and see if we want to truly combat Boko Haram. I can tell you that Boko Haram is 100 per cent a Muslim problem … It is we Muslims that have the responsibility to tackle it more than anybody else.”
Gumi is an influential figure in Nigeria, particularly with the Muslim youths of the Izala sect in the north of the country. His father, the late Abubakar Gumi, was a highly controversial cleric, who is attributed to have influenced the radical, Wahhabi theology of Boko Haram and other radical groups.
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