In Nigeria the media generally and some Muslim pundits, are highly cautious, in identifying strongly with Muslim groupings, in the event of the Muslims being victims of violence by the others. This could – probably – be due to the fear that in showing support for Muslims in such circumstances, many, might feel emboldened to charge to the streets and display their anger in a form of revenge that will worsen the situation.
This – if so – goes a long way, in demonstrating that either of the following two things, could be true of the Northern Nigerian Muslims at all times:
- They are misfits in the modern social system dynamics that current Nigeria presents and everybody knows that. In fact the best of their pundits know better! This is why their issues are fit for touch only with the long sticks and on the surfaces. They always bring misfortune to their neighbors on their own without prompting. So when there is a prompting, such as what happened in Jos recently, care must be observed that they may not be strongly identified and sympathized with, because at the end of the day they may bring down the roof overall around!
- Or there has been a long and persistent effort by those who disliked the Northern Muslims, either for reasons of politics, theology, or culture. They have consistently painted the picture of violent lots in them in the public space. They have succeeded in their mission, so much so that the Nigerian media and some pundits among the Northern Muslims, have completely subscribed to their narrative and so we are where we are in such a way, that seemingly enlightened Muslim pundits, don’t side with their own, either during the rain or in scorching sunshine!
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Whichever is the case, the Northern Nigerian Muslims must wake up to the scent of the reality of the modern world. They have to know that they have the right to live in the 21st century the way they want to and according to the dictates of their theology, social and political paradigms, even as they have to up their skills and play social games according to the dictates of the reigning almost universal values of rights, freedom, and equality regardless of human inherent primeval sentiments.
This is the obvious lesson we can learn from the recent MSII Colloquium, which reflected the trajectory of his life through to sixty years round. There is a proud Muslim-Nigerian person who never missed an opportunity to identify with his people, history, heritage, and core values first and before anything as much as he is eager to self-critic.
In a position of power at the nation’s apex bank, he took a dive into his Muslim heritage side by side with modern realities and ensured that the expansion of the financial system considered products that carry Muslim people along. He has helped made Nigeria several inches more Muslim and Muslim values friendly without çompromising Non-Muslims in any way.
In his position as a traditional authority, he again delved into his Muslim cultural heritage and invested in producing new social contract documents according to the exigencies of the time, that would make the environment a better place for the weakest in the societal hierarchy, women, and children.
In the other spheres of life, he would insist that, we must remain Sunni Muslims in our various negotiations with the modern institutional and social dynamics, Nigeria presents to us. This is evidenced by his known public positions in all debates that concern the Shi’a and the Sunnis, even in recent times with the jousts, that involve the Shiites groups or leadership with the Nigerian government. He will also rise in defense of Muslims Sunni canons, whenever any tries to go against them like how he’s been treating the case of Shaykh Abduljabbar over time.
All his public policy debates and interventions, in the last 23 years, are about the reconciliation of his original paradigm, which is rooted in the Muslim Sunni conservative ideals and values of the 19th century Jihad Northern Nigeria; as conceived by our grandparents on one part, with the postulations of classical Judeo-Christian Western scholarship and philosophical postulations, through their modern versions of what should form a society, states, and their institutions, on the other part.
Therefore, it is my considered opinion – as one of his oldest young disciples and enthusiast- that if Sarkin Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II were to be chosen as a model for any Muslim youth in Northern Nigeria, it should be demonstrated in a life that seeks to understand the plight of Muslims as a people in Nigeria; Islam as an ideology in the Nigerian space and an expressed desire to obtain a Nigeria that does not contradict the fundamentals of Islam in its traditional Northern Nigerian sense, and does not make Non-Muslims appear any less than any other as equal citizens. This also should be able to be done, without looking less Muslim or less Northern, in any way!
That is what MSII has so far achieved at the highest level of being a widely acknowledged Nigerian technocrat, a distinguished public intellectual and a radical traditionalist who is not discernible or easily deconstructed by the uninitiated lots; has defied stereotyping in Southern Nigeria and waded away the general outlook given to aristocratic in public space as privileged quota system representatives since the colonial times. Maybe the next colloquium should try to examine the source of values of MSII as they have helped shaped his choices in life since this one has discussed only the values as they are reflected in the way he has lived so far. Happy birthday Sir!
