Arab/Persian Rivalry: My Angle
(Rebellion of an Army)

It is becoming clearer the Sunni/Shi'a rivalry, has also been imported into Nigeria. Some Nigerian Muslims are very good at importing quarrels from elsewhere under the guise of Islamic brotherhood, even though our country is a multi-religious country. The move by the APC led government to have our army among the Arab coalition fighting Houthis in Yemen is a clear indication, our government has taken sides in compounding the nation's problems amidst economic emasculation, political miscalculation and growing internal strife. Lately rumours has it that all military schools in Nigeria ought to close shops to meet the growing demand for troops to combat insurgency. Who knows how many would be exported to join the Arab coalition?
This rivalry between Sunni and Shiite is as a result of a fall out of the diplomatic failure between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

After the fall of Saddam Hussein, there was a leak on the American intelligence by the whistle blower. When we read the whistle blower then, we saw Saudi Arabia giving a coded message to America "cut off the snake's head." The snake here is by implication; Iran. Iranians got wind of it and it further soured the relationship between the two countries.

The fall out of this relationship, exacerbated the after-effects of American invasion into Iraq, such that long after America evacuated its troops, Iraq was plagued by violent sectarian crisis between Shi'a and Sunni given that Iraq is a country with a largely Shi'a population.

The Syrian civil war is also a fall out of the Saudi Arabia/Iran rivalry. In order to overthrow Assad, Sunni Muslim volunteers from around the globe were recruited into rebel forces and armed by America. Today, that American backed sunni rebel forces have metamorphosed into what we now see as ISIS and notorious for the most bizarre kind of killings ever witnessed in modern history while recruiting and conducting terrorist activities around the globe. A year ago, Bokoharam pledged alligence to this ISIS. Al-Qaeda too was formed based on American support of the mujaheedins fighting off Russian invasion of Afghanistan in the 80s.

Now, some Nigerian sunni are saying, it will be better they become Christians than they become shiites. Make no mistake, this does not mean love for Christianity - this is simply demonstrating the extent of their hatred for both Christianity and Shiites. They claimed shiites are not Muslims - the constitution allows for freedom of worship. They are not Muslims, so what? Live and let 'em live. Yesterday, it was importing quarrels against the Christians. Today, it is against the Shi'a Muslims. Such Muslims should stop such discrimination and demonisation for a peaceful co-existence in a multi-religious country like Nigeria.

With this Arab/Persian conflict imported into Nigeria by this administration, it could degenerate into a full scale religious crisis with no boundary nor respect for neutrals, because some Muslims could be very irresponsible. This irresponsible Muslims blame everyone for their misfortunes except 'emselves. They blamed Jonathan for hardship in Nigeria, today with Buhari in power, the foundation upon which Nigeria was built is shaky given Buhari's insensitivity to diversity as well as poor understanding of the chemistry of the Nigerian economy. Amidts cry of foul, PMB employed temporary measures against permanent problems when he used Central Bank to peg the dollar at 197 naira. The reality today is around 300 naira to a dollar. But to this day, the APC government do not want to be responsible and take responsibility - they will not stop blaming the last administration for Nigeria's myriads of problems.

They blame the Jews. Then they blame the Christians. So when they find it convenient to blame Christians instead of owning up and taking responsibility, it could degenerate into a religious crisis with Christians as primary targets. A certain Associate Professor with Bayero University Kano Dr. Abdulsamad Umar Jibia, is already playing the blame game by blaming the expelled Jews of Madina (Banu Qurayza) of instigating the formation of the Shi'a sect out of bitterness for their expulsion out of Madina in the seventh century. Isn't it ironical that Iran, a Shi'a stronghold, is about the only nation that doesn't recognise the right of Israel to exist? This Associate professor refused to stop there, he went on to target Adamu Adamu, the one shiite in Buhari's government for expulsion if Buhari were serious about the crackdown on shiites. Is it not becoming clearer why Christians are reduced to size in the civil services and armed forces too? This Associate professor said no matter how good Adamu Adamu is, he must be expelled from the government. Can you beat that?

A new revelation making the waves says bokoharam was targeting Shi'a not sunni. Again, ISIS was targeting Shi'a not sunni. ISIS are being assisted by the Sunni government of Turkey in selling the crude oil of their occupied territories. Russia, a key ally of Shi'a Iran and Shi'a-led Syrian government is fighting ISIS. The coalition of Saudi-led forces is fighting Iran-sponsored Houthis in Yemen. Iran is already threatening Nigeria over the crackdown on Shiites in Zaria by the army last Saturday. Nigeria is broke, and war is costly. We are yet to solve our economic and terrorism problems and PMB is happily inheriting the Arab/Persian conflict by dragging us into a long sectarian conflict on the Arab side against the Persians.

Yes, the army were sufficiently provoked and given the training of a soldier, self defence is key; but the resultant force deployed to clear the roads against fellow citizens is uncalled for. The military authority could arrest all the leaders of the sect, while sending their brainwashed members to a rehabilitation camp instead of wasting 'em the way they did. For crying out loud, the shiites are also citizens of Nigeria and have the right to association and beliefs as enshrined in our constitution, so this talk about their not being Muslims is immaterial and very irresponsible and a tinder for a chain explosion which we don't need in this country at this point of our existence.

The Nigerian army should know by now that those who are not sufficiently aware of the disadvantages of using arms, cannot be sufficiently aware of the advantages of using arms too. This is because weapons are inauspicious tools - they are instruments of bad omen and never to be used by the enlightened. If we come to an impasse where we have no alternative but to use force - it is better we are patient. Shooting civilians down do not always result in awe. It doesn't always quell a problem. On the contrary, it aggravates it, because it creates unnecessary martyrs. The international outcry over that shooting is not worth clearing the roads of miscreants as purportedly claimed by the army.

Using such force, regardless of provocation, as used by the army against civilians the army is detailed to serve, is rebellion even by military standards. The army is more disciplined and known for restraint - it should have employed such. Killing of protesters in Onitsha by members of the security too cannot solve the IPOB problems. The APC-led government should understand that this is democracy and not a military dictatorship where trigger-happy members of the security will pull the trigger carelessly against their employers (Nigerian Citizens). This is not acceptable.

This is not in anyway endorsing the treacherous attitude of the shiites against the army as captured in the circulated video. This is because the army has a standing rule - to overthrow any government that shows her great disrespect. Now military takeovers can be bloody or bloodless. The Shiites in Zaria showed great disrespect to the army, but also took up arms as depicted in that video, thus absolving the army of rebellion. However, I indicted the army in my personal court of opinion, in that they made it bloody, when they could have made it bloodless.

George Makeri
Writing From
Kaduna