Book Haram: Still killing in the name of God?

Book Haram: Still killing in the name of God?

When the Boko Haram insurgency started growing in leaps and bounds some years ago, many including this writer, thought the Boko Haram 'boys' were fighting for the course of Allah, which we were made to believe with their series of Youtube videos. They claimed to be in opposition to any form of westernization; they claimed western education is a taboo and wanted an Islamic government in the region where they hold sway. This was the height of an unrealistic dream.

The major attacks of the group has been on schools, churches, mosques, governmentbuildings etc, leaving one to wonder if the thousands of people who have been killed in these dozens of attacks are purely Christians and symbol of westernization. They include those killed in the attack on Bayero University Kano (BUK), College of Agriculture, Gujba, Yobe State, and many other schools who we can't say whether they are all Christians or don't even believe in their God?

Many have been massacred by Boko Haram members while worshipping inside Churches and Mosques, yet Boko Haram still claims it is fighting and killing for God. Then it might be appropriate to say that Boko Haram is never a religious group, and if it was as it had claimed, it has expanded beyond its original religious composition to include not only Islamic militants, but also criminal elements used as tools for driving the selfish interest of some disgruntled politicians. Only God knows what they stand to gain after wiping away all those they intend to establish the law.

If the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa'adu Abubakar, who we believe is the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims, has tagged the sect "anti-Islamic" and "an embarrassment to Islam." One wonders who they are still fighting for and whose interest they still claim to represent.

Also, Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State described the group as "a franchise that anyone can buy into." The boys are starving, it is now a game of the highest bidder, they settle for anything from anybody as long as it meets their immediate needs. The level of decadence in our society today is enough reason for anyone to be moved and claim he/she is fighting for God to cleanse the society of those abusing God's name, but I have come to the understanding that no one, absolutely no one, either mighty or small, can fight for God, No; God is big enough to fight for himself, he doesn't need any foot soldier to defend himself, he doesn't need anyone to shed blood of innocent people in His
name.

Boko Haram cannot claim to be killing for God as God is not a blood-sucking monster, and He doesn't need anyone to kill in His name to establish his doctrine. Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka has aptly stated: "Who kills for love of God, kills God. Who kills in the name of God, leaves God without a name."

Daily, the killing and maiming of innocent Nigerians by Boko Haram members keeps escalating in frequency and intensity. No one is safe, Muslims and non-Muslims, which leaves one to the conclusion that there is more than meets the eye in the group's agitations and in what it professes.

They claimed to be in opposition to anything brought by westernization, yet they use the internet; they claimed western education is a taboo, yet many of their leaders and sponsors are University graduates, what an Irony from a confused group of young men. All bucks stop at poverty, there is no gainsaying the fact it is the root of not only Boko Haram insurgency, but also all other insurgencies and anti-social vices, that have sprung up in the country in the last 10-years.

A hungry man is an angry man, but when it has gotten to the extent of killing innocent people and doing so in the name of God, the hungry man can simply be described as a devourer.

May help come before a whole region is wiped off by those who claim to be fighting in the name of ‘God.’