The Executive Director of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Mallam Muhammad Jawa Gashua has urged Muslim civil servants to always identify with Islam at their workplaces.
Mal. Gashua gave the advice while speaking exclusively with Muslim News recently at his Maitama, Abuja liaison office.
He said that Muslims should do away with actions that are not in line with the teachings of Islam in the discharge of their administrative duties.
According to him, “My advice to my fellow Muslim civil servants is that wherever they find themselves, they should practice their religion to the letter. They should follow their religious teachings.
“And whatever opportunity they have, let them propagate their religion. They should also keep away from things that are not Islamic either in the administration of their duties or in relating with others,” he added.
The Borno state-born technocrat also advised Nigerian leaders to emulate the Prophet of Islam in the course of their leadership, saying that he was a shining star among humans.
He also said that non-Muslims have been testifying to the exemplary character of the Prophet in recent times.
He also said that no single individual can Islamize Nigeria, adding that Islam as a religion does not encourage compulsion in faith.
According to him, “There is no evidence of Islamisation Agenda in Nigeria. Those who accuse the President (Muhammadu Buhari) rely only on speculations. But the Vice President (Yemi Osibanjo), a devout Christian has come out to defend President Buhari.
“Osinbajo is a Pastor serving under this administration. He said there is no single day the President came to him and say be a Muslim. In fact, most of his staff are Christians right from his military days. Some of them are still with him, and have not been told to convert to Islam.
Mal. Gashua buttressed his point with a quotation from the Qur’an where Allah said there is no compulsion in Islam.
“No one can force another person to become a Muslim. That’s what the Boko Haram terrorists are claiming or trying to do. In a nutshell, no single individual can come and Islamize Nigeria. And that is not the intention of Muslims. Our intention is to co-exist with our Christian brothers peacefully. God has brought us together to live together,” Gashua added.
Gashua also explained that the Boko Haram terrorists who have been terrorising Nigeria for the past few years are not true Muslims even when they claim such by their utterances, adding that Islam is a religion of peace that discourages killings and terrorism.
Asked to define who a Muslim is, he said, “A Muslim can be identified as a person who follows the tenets of Islam, a peaceful religion ordained by Allah for mankind and whoever claims to be a Muslim should embrace it wholeheartedly.
“Though some Muslims are just Muslims by name, committing atrocities every other person commits. So, the Boko Haram terrorists claim they are Muslims, fighting for Islam; that’s entirely a different thing. A true Muslim will not kill a fellow human being unjustly, bomb places of worship and so on.”
