The sacked Chief Imam of the Apo Legislative Quarter mosque, Sheikh Nuru Khalid, has maintained there was nothing wrong with his criticisms of the Federal Government over the Kaduna terror train attack.
As reported by The Nation, he told Channels TV that what he said was in order.
He explained he simply asked the Federal Government to do the right thing by tackling the incessant insecurity across the nation.
Making reference to the Abuja-Kaduna train attack on April 1, 2022, Khalid said he only demanded the President should have done more than he did.
He stated he will gladly submit himself to the torture of hell if his demands are sinful even though he knows they are not.
According to him: “What I did was right. It was never wrong because I said it was unfortunate for us to experience what happened for Nigerians in the train. It was unfortunate.
“And I said, the President, His Excellency supposed to do more than what he did.
“And I said if they are only concerned with voting and elections, with counting votes, then we are going to speak that language to them and give them conditions, which is secure Nigeria before 2023 or we don’t vote again.
“What we are asking for is security. If it is a sin to ask for a secure Nigeria, I am ready to go to hell for that. But I know it is not a sin to ask for a secure Nigeria.”
Khalid had in a viral video of his sermon during last Friday Jumat, said clerics, including himself, parents, community leaders and particularly President Buhari have failed the country.
He said: “Is there nobody to take responsibility? I want to believe that we have all failed. I failed as an Imam to teach you that life is sacred. You all failed as parents to teach your children that killing is bad. Our community leaders have failed. Our politicians have failed. Governors have failed, and His Excellency the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has failed us.
“Let me tell Mr President, under your watch bandits are taxing Nigerians. Is that in the provision of the Constitution of Nigeria? Under the Constitution, no one has a right to tax Nigerians, except authorised by the Federal Government.”
Subsequently, the chairman of the mosque committee, Senator Saidu Muhammed Dansadau, said the cleric was suspended for “inciting public outrage.”
But responding about his next line of action, the cleric, also known as Digital Imam, had said he would not oppose any decision by the committee. “I will not oppose anyone, especially Senator Dan Sadau, he is an elder, I will not stand against him,” he quipped.
Meanwhile, the convener of Open Nigeria, Smart Madu Ajaja, had lauded the cleric for standing for the truth even when it is unpleasant to speak against the government.
He said: “We stand with Sheik Nuru Khalid for speaking up while most other Imams, mostly bigots and false prophets are protecting their own selfish interests as the country is being destroyed and their people perishing.
“Standing up for your country by speaking truth to power is not blasphemous, but a moral, spiritual, civic, constitutional and a patriotic obligation that every citizen owes his/her country in both its good and challenging times, because, true patriotism is never and must never be defined by the decree or the fiat of any government in power at anytime.”
Also, the Chief Imam of the University of Abuja Mosque, Prof. Taofiq Azeez, urged the suspended Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters’ Mosque not to be discouraged by his present ordeal.
Speaking on Monday in Abuja at the 19th National Unity Ramadan Lecture organised by the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, with the theme: ‘Ramadan: Shaping Leadership’, Prof Azeez said Sheik Khalid’s suspension was not surprising.
“The Hadith of Prophet Muhammad on changing wrongs with hands, with tongues, with their mind and to also pray that they changed for the better is apt here,” he said.
He, however, said that if leaders failed to act right and become hard-hearted, they (scholars) can explore the option of Prophet Musa (Moses), who sought Allah’s wrath against rebellious leaders.
“I knew that they would suspend him, he should not be discouraged, he should not be surprised. We are not surprised. He should continue doing the good work. So, my message to Khalid is that he should not be discouraged, that should not make him go down, but should encourage him to do more.
“Scholars should be prepared for this kind of things, you may be suspended, you may even be attacked; you may be killed. Leaders, scholars, religious leaders, prophets have been killed before, this should not discourage anybody from doing that.
“However, when you want to criticise, you must have your facts. You must not be partisan; you must not be echoing street talks. You must talk based on facts and truth, be objective. You must not be talking about hatred, and not make it look like something sponsored by someone or a group. Sometimes, some of these politicians sponsor some religious leaders to speak against their opponents, you must not be this cheap,” Azeez had counseled.
