The General Overseer of Later Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has said his comment on the floor of the National Conference Tuesday that Chairman Idris Kutigi should refrain from starting his speeches with a short Arabic phrase should not be interpreted to mean hatred for Muslims and their faith.
\nMr. Bakare had, at the first plenary of the Conference, drawn attention to\u00a0…the short Arabic phrase that usually precede Justice Kutigi\u2019s speech at the Conference\u2019s sessions.
\nThe clergyman then called for a uniformed prayer at all meetings of the Conference.
\n\u201cMr. Chairman, yesterday you said something at the inauguration of the Conference and I did not understand,\u201d Mr. Bakare said. \u201cToday again, you said it. I think you should pray in the way all of us understand because if I stand up and say, \u2018Praise the Lord somebody,\u2019 we will turn this place into a church service.\u201d
\nBut in a statement Thursday morning, a group, Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, said Mr. Bakare\u2019s \u201cattack\u201d on Justice Kutigi was a premeditated demonstration of his hatred for Muslims and Islam.
\nMr. Bakare has now denied the charge, saying he made the comment in the interest of national unity, cohesion and mutual co-existence at the conference.
\n\u201cWhat we are saying is that let us adopt one simple language so that no one reads any religious connotation into anything we say or do,\u201d Mr. Bakare told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone. We are not here for regional or religious issues. We must not be divided by tribal sentiments and religious prejudices. We must focus on building a new Nigeria.\u201d
\nThe clergyman explained that there was no way he could hate Muslims having been born and raised a Muslim himself.
\nBesides, he said, many of his relatives, friends and associates are Muslims.
\n\u201cIf I hate Muslims, I would not have accepted to be a running mate to a Muslim in the last presidential election,\u201d Mr. Bakare explained. \u201cI was born and raised a Muslim. I\u2019m well versed in the Quoran having graduated from Islamic school on April 16, 1967.
\n\u201cMany of my relatives are still Muslims. My older cousin was recently made the Are Adinni Musulumi of Egbaland and my family was well represented at the ceremony.
\n\u201cI have no Islamophobia of any kind. Even in my businesses, I employ Muslims and non-Muslims and even those who don\u2019t believe. I was born in the South but raised in Sokoto. My father was known as Sani Arewa and that is what is written on his tombstone. My uncle was Sarki Yoruba in the Sultan\u2019s palace.
\n\u201cSo, you can see that I\u2019m in no position to hate Muslims. All I\u2019m saying is that we should be fair to one another. God created only one race. And that is the human race. We should not let religion or tribes to divide us.\u201d
\nSource: Premium times<\/p>\n