By Akinwale Kasali
For weeks, the Christmas Message of Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Fr. Matthew Hassan Kukah generated reactions for and against.
The latest reaction has come from the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) has lashes Bishop Kukah’s Christmas message as irresponsible as it was abusive of Islam.
In a Press Statement titled, ‘Reverend Kukah’s Christmas Homily,’ signed by its Secretary-General , Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, on Wednesday in Kaduna, three weeks after the Bishop’s message, the JNI condemned him over what it called “a political hogwash to deceive the innocent.”
The statement reads in part: “Though the message is disguised as a political hogwash to deceive the innocent, there is no doubt that it was a poisoned arrow fired at the heart of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria, hence the need for this intervention.
“The Bishop’s statement was a prepared address considering the occasion and the audience; one cannot but agree that it was a calculated attempt to insult Islam which is typical of him.
“His veiled insinuation that Muslims have a pool of violence to draw from is disgusting, disheartening, as well as condemnable.
“Responsibly, Christmas homilies should come with messages of hope, unity, mercy, forgiveness of the Supreme Being and resilience through prayers, especially in this trying time.
“The Bishop’s message was however a clear deviation from well-established norm across the globe.”
