Christmas homily: “I will not hesitate to tender my apology if….Kukah tells JNI

By Oluchi Ihediuche

The Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah has said he will not hesitate to tender an apology if he is shown a part of his sermon that insulted Islam in his recent Christmas homily which attracted a lot of reaction nationwide.

In response to the statement by the JNI who accused the Bishop on spiting Islam, Bishop Kukah said the JNI secretary focused more on politics than humanity to have accused him of firing an arrow at the heart of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria.

“Dr Aliyu has accused me of being an enemy of his religion, Islam. He accused me of what he calls, firing an arrow at the heart of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria.

“He says I have been accorded respect and accommodated in Sokoto and I have turned around to bite a finger that has fed me.

“He poses a question: How can Muslims continue to be hospitable to one who proves to be an ingrate many times over? How can Muslims be comfortable in associating with a bitterly vindictive person disguised in the garb of a religious cleric?

“Finally, I will make only two points. First, my area of research is Religion, Politics and Society. I am concerned about how religion can help to form good citizens and also how the state can create an environment that enables citizens to achieve this.

“In all of my writings over the last forty or more years, I have never written a single paper or article on Islam as a religion. If there is any scholar anywhere who knows, let him or her say so.

“Secondly, I will request Dr Aliyu as a matter of honour and based on the text of my sermon to formally identify where in my sermon I attacked Islam or all Muslims in Nigeria and the world according to him. I am more than happy to apologise for the offensive part of the statement.

“I am therefore calling on Dr Aliyu to clarify and validate his accusations against me and advance the reasons why he should incite violence against me.