Soji Ajibola
Suspension of the Chief imam of Apo Legislative quarters mosque, Abuja, Sheikh Muhammadu Nuru Khalid is generating ripples among notable Islamic faithful, religious bodies and relevant stakeholders in the Country.
Khalid, last Friday in his Jumat sermon was reported to have decried the spate of killings across the Country, attributing it to the insensitivity of the Federal government to the plight of the people in the Country.
He was quoted to have criticized President Muhammadu Buhari over what it described as nonchalant attitude towards addressing the insecurity nationwide.
However, barely 24 hours after the sermon, the steering committee of the Mosque ordered the suspension of the Chief imam, describing the sermon as provocative and inciteful.
Analysts, political pundits and relevant stakeholders have described the suspension of Khalid as highest level of hypocrisy on the part of the Steering Committee and federal government apologists, noting that the cleric had criticized previous administrations in the Country without being penalized.
Farooq Kperogi in his twitter account queried the decision of the Steering Committee, describing it as unjustifiable.
He queried, why is that Kalil and other clerics were not suspended when former President Goodluck Joathan was accused of being responsible for the mass death of Northern muslims?
Describing the suspension as highest level of hypocrisy, Kperogi submitted that if a Southern Christian becomes President of the Country in 2023 it will not be an unacceptable norm to criticize and call Mr. President names.
According to him, “The hypocrisy is galling. When/if a southern Christian becomes president next year. I can bet you that criticizing a President would no longer be considered incitement or a violation of Islamic tenets.
Intensifying insecurity in the Country at the time which pales in comparison with what we are seeing now on Buhari’s watch. It was neither inciting nor against Islamic tenets. In fact, there ia famous video clip of Sheikh Isa Ali Pantami crying like a baby during a sermon.
I don’t know how these people are able to live with this quantum of disgustingly double standard.