By Yusuf Mohammed
Islamophobia is real. And the antagonists of Islam are called Islamophobes. No matter how hard some of them try, they can’t conceal their bigotry, as their instinct to attack Muslims and Islam jumps out at any given opportunity. What Captain Jamil Abubakar said about blasphemy was simple and self-explanatory. He never encouraged mob justice or extrajudicial killings in the name of religion. I believe he, like many of us (Muslims) was only wondering why many Christians find it difficult to respect religious figures the way we do. He tweeted: “In Islam we respect the Injil, Taura, Zabur, we were never taught to disrespect any of the book, or any of the prophets From Adam to Muhammad SAW and the Quran.”
Muslims have boundaries. We know where to draw the line. We can joke about many things but when it comes to religious figures, we abstain. If you look at most of the memes or jokes about Jesus Christ, they are usually being made by Atheists or Jews. And the irony is that Christians themselves partake in it by sharing. You wouldn’t see a Muslim, even in a drunken state, share memes about Christ.
Those who are quick to paint all Muslims with one brush whenever there’s violence as a result of a few people should please take note of what I’m about to say in regards to prominent figures with cult following.
During the apartheid era in South Africa, speaking ill of Nelson Mandela was almost akin to committing suicide.
In Jamaica, there are places you can’t say thrash about Bob Marley despite the fact that he is no longer alive. In Nigeria, you can talk bad about Fela Anikulapo Kuti all you want but saying it at the Afrika Shrine in Lagos is asking for trouble.
Famous rapper, Tupac Amaru Shakur died 26 years ago. But if you say something negative about him in California today, you could get into trouble. There are some parts of America where they don’t tolerate thrash talks about Nipsey Hussle. In Buenos Aires in Argentina or Napoli in Italy, you dare not say anything bad about Diego Armando Maradona.
Let’s enter Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He is revered by Muslims all over the world. The love for him is 100 %. His name is mentioned during the Iqama at the beginning of all the five daily prayers. We have also read about him times without number.
Let’s remember that of all the celebrities in America, only Muhammad Ali’s name is not on the floor of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They had to put his name (Muhammad Ali) on the wall just because of the love and respect he had for ‘Muhammad.’
Ali said, “I bear the name of our beloved Prophet Muhammad and it is impossible that I allow people to trample over his name.”
Muhammad Ali’s star on the wall of Hollywood walk of fame
Names of other stars are on the floor
The names I mentioned earlier for instance, are earthly figures. There is no connection between them and the afterlife. But Muhammad is a religious figure. And we know that religion has link with the afterlife. We also know that life on earth isn’t permanent. If some people easily get angry about those figures, it is expected that many people would definitely get angry if Muhammad is insulted.
Reactions vary though. For instance, not all lovers of Liverpool FC would get angry to the point of fighting when you insult their club. Some would be upset and move on, others may get physical. The same thing with religion. This is why I feel it is wrong to use one brush to paint all Muslims who react violently to blasphemous statements. Do Muslims like it when the prophet is insulted? No! Are all Muslims going to react the same way? No!
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself was insulted throughout his life-time. Never for once did he fight anyone as a result or ask any of his followers to fight on his behalf. My explanation is as simple as ABC. And this is what Captain Jamil Abubakar meant.
I was disappointed in those who say they are friends of Jamil but refused to say anything to counter the barrage of hate speeches. I have never met Jamil, but I have heard several stories about him and all I have gathered is enough to give an informed opinion about the pilot. Growing up in a diverse city like Lagos, JamBoy as he is fondly called is cosmopolitan. His network of friends cut across ethnic and religious divide.
People also forget anyone, irrespective of background could be a beneficiary of Jamil’s philanthropic ways. He organized a football event through his JMD Foundation, that was a pathway for many young men to realize their dreams in Europe. And that event was opened to youths from all parts of the country. I did a report on it.
Those are a few of his public deeds. I wouldn’t want to talk about the private ones because I have no approval. It’s why I said I’m disappointed in those who decided to keep quiet. Especially those who have benefited from his generosity.
Try as they may, this is only like a ‘dirt’ on his shoulder, and all he needs to do is dust it off and it’s gone. I put dirt in quote because his detractors are deliberately trying to misinterpret his words, mislead the masses due to their prejudice against him and Islam.
We should never fold our arms and watch when a very useful youth is being maligned. He deserves our support and protection. We don’t have many of him out there.
Yusuf Mohammed is a journalist based in Lagos
You can reach him on Instagram @yusuf_writes
Twitter @yusufwrites
