Just like the killing of Ustaz Mohammed Yusuf (founder of Boko Haram), did not curb the driving extremism of this sick fanaticism, the corpse of Abubakar Skekau will barely do same. Who would have thought that Mohammed Yusuf had the complete loyalty of people who were way more dreaded than he is. Unlike Mohammed Yusuf, Shekau butchered both women and children with ease and his brutality extended to using girls and boy as suicide bombers.
Mohammed Yusuf was guided by an extreme philosophy, which he passed on to devotees, who in turn are passing it on to loyalists and sympathizers. “Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad”, which is the official name of Boko Haram (Western Education is Sin) has absolutely no tallying or corresponding agreement the English translation of the official name of the sect, that is, “People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad”.
This same distorted and insane conception is ferociously breathing and alive even at the death of the preceptor.
These are the beliefs that are alive in the likes of Shekau and many other loyalist, hence the killing of Shekau or a 100 of his kind will barely change anything.
Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, stated in a recent interview that the coalition of the West must fight not only ISIS, but its ideology. He sates further that,
“It’s an ideology based in a complete perversion of the proper faith of Islam, but it is powerful. It is proselytized and preached by people in mosques and madrasas not just in countries like Pakistan and parts of the Middle East and parts of Africa, but back in parts of Britain… How do you root this kind of teaching out and make it absolutely clear that it is completely unacceptable to teach these forms of extremism?”
The US State Department’s Center for Strategic Counter terrorism Communications also released a short video clip to counter the ideology of ISIS. They complied fragments of footage from ISIS videos, showing their brutality and employed sarcasm and rhetoric to mock their course and at the same time endeavored to sensitize the understanding of sympathizers and potential recruits. It may seem unreal but ISIS has recruited a good number of soldiers and devotees online.
Hence, it is not all about armoury (not that we can boast of much), but the Nigerian Government must strategically address this issue from its root. Security intelligence should be put to play more because words on the street has it that Boko Haram has solid financial backing and sophisticated armoury. In essence, more brain and less muscle is required to confront this issue of insurgency once and for all.
Most importantly, people claim that these insurgents are not Muslims. In order not to get things mixed up here, their official name in English again means “People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad”.
Now the big question is, Where are the Islamic Scholars, Imams and Teachers who are meant to correct these distorted perception of Islam?
Enough of blaming the Government when we as a society have tolerated filtrated teachings in our religious institutions and settings. We have failed to define the thick line between religion and fanaticism and have allowed inhumane practices to carried out on our very own soil in the name of God.
The fight against terrorism is far from assembling rocket launchers, AK 47 and armoured tanks. It is about us not just standing for what is right but doing it. It is about inculcating into your son, daughter, brother, friend, sister and even colleagues the truths that we are loosing a grip on. This battle is therefore not physical but psychological and should be confronted as such.
Dinah Adams @didiyargata
