Na’Allah Muhammad Zagga

I don’t agree with the argument that every Muslim inspired by Wahhabist ideology of the Sunni branch of Islam is a automatically a violent extremist that believes in the Boko Haram campaign of indiscriminate violence innocent people, Muslims and non-Muslims. I don’t also accept the argument that every Izala sympathiser is automatically sympathetic to Boko Haram poisonous and violent ideas. This assumption is not supported by any compelling evidence.

Sheikh Albani Zaria and Sheikh Jafar Adam paid with their lives for criticising and opposing the Boko Haram violent ideology. Dr. Ahmad Gummi also escaped death with the skin of his teeth for opposing Boko Haram. Being an Izala member doesn’t automatically make everyone else within the group a sympathiser of Boko Haram. It’s like making every Muslim guilty by association because violent extremists happen to be Muslims. Again, being a devout Muslim doesn’t automatically make one a violent extremist. The two terms are not synonymous.

I don’t like conspiracy theories that rely on superficial assumptions. The fact that Whahabism inspires today’s violent extremists doesn’t make every Wahhabist a terrorist or a terrorism supporter. Of course, 15 of the 19 September 11 terrorists were Saudi citizens, but that is not enough to declare every Saudi guilty by association. Why didn’t the Bush administration declare war on Saudi Arabia because most of the 9/11 terrorists were Saudis? It couldn’t have done so because not Saudis and not all Wahhabists should be held accountable for the action of fringe Muslim groups, regardless of the ideology that motivates them.

Former President Bush didn’t declare war on Afghanistan because he believed all Muslims were responsible for 9/11. He launched military attacks on the Taliban rulers because they rejected US demands to hand over Osama Bin Laden for giving his support to the perpetrators of the 9/11 atrocity. Bush acted within international law. You can’t harbour my enemy that caused me massive harm without being guilty of hostile behaviour, posture or action. So, Bush didn’t go to Afghanistan because he was convinced that every Muslim should be responsible for the action of violent extremists inspired by Wahhabist ideology. Majority of the victims of terrorism were Muslims, regardless of which ideology motivated the attackers.

As you can’t hold every white person accountable for the violent actions of white nationalists, it’s also wrong and unfair to blame Muslims for the consequences of Wahhabist teachings. No white person should be judged by the action of Adolf Hitler. Conjectures, coincidences and assumptions shouldn’t be presented as gospel truth, especially when the perceived truth is merely a superficial effort to pass a guilty verdict on particular believers because of the ideology of any group. That Mohammed Yusuf, the Boko Haram founder, was an Izala sect member doesn’t mean all Izala followers agree with his activities and teachings. Evil has amazing fascination; that is why even bad guys attract gullible followers like a moth to the flame.

Na’Allah Muhammad Zagga is a public affairs commentator