BY PAUL OKADE Jr
The terrorist attack on a Catholic Church on Christ- I
mas day which claimed scores of innocent lives was
must state at this junction that the majority of
the Muslims in Nigeria are peaceful, law abiding and
indeed the proverbial “straw” that broke the Camel’s
religiously tolerant people and they do not advocate
back. It wasn’t the first attack of this malicious sect
nor endorse the radical extremism of the sect that has
against Nigerians of all ethnic and socio-economic
now come to be known as “Boko Haram”, which in
divides but it was the first time that they identified and English translation simply means anti-western educasingled out a place of worship on one of the most sation/teaching. This sect claims to be against what they
cred religious days of the Christian faith “Christmas”,
believe is the secularisation of the Northern part of
a day when the birth of the son of God, Jesus Christ of the country, and have sadly embraced violence as a
Nazareth is celebrated.
means of expressing and furthering their cause.
Although there is no historical evidence that au-
thenticates the actual birth date of Jesus Christ, there
is however overwhelming evidence of the existence of
such a personality. Both the Christian Bible and the
Muslim Quran recognise the existence of Jesus but
differ in their beliefs about his divinity. According to
the Christians, Jesus Christ is the Son Of God but not
in the sense that God gave birth to him in the delivery
room the way a pregnant woman delivers a baby, but
in relation to his position and heavenly ranking. The
Christian belief of a triune God i:e one God expressed
in three persons (God the Father, God the Son (Jesus
Christ) and God the Holy Spirit) is at the centre of
their faith.
The Muslims on the other hand believe that Jesus
Christ was simply a messenger/Prophet of God and
not divine as the Christians believe. Both Muslims
and Christians however do believe that Jesus C ?\?\???Z[???X??Y?Z[?[? ]H ?[?Y?H H?? ??\??\?\?x?&[H???\??Y ?[Y?[?\??&]H???[??Y???X\?? ?]\?\?[????[?]?\? [?H ?? ?\?H?X]Y?H H ?[YH?? [?H?Z[YY ??HX?[?????]?XZ?\??? ?[??H ?] ??]?\?[? ?X?X? ??[?Y?[?][ H???? [? [?\?Y ??? ??\?H\?X??? ][ H??[?? ??? ?][?H??\????X?X?Y[?? ?? ?]? H ??X?[Y8?' ?]HX[??&\??'B?Y X?][?[ ?\?[H[??\? ? \??YH Z\?????B?????Y?H[?[?[X? X[?\X?] H]?[?Y[? ??H??YY?H ?????H\?[?YY?H? H[X\????H[[??]X?[??\??Y[? ?[?H\?H??YH ? ???\ ?X?]?\??? ^H????K ?Z[? Z\??[ ?[??[? HX[??\? ] ?Z] ? Z\? ?[Y?[?\??Y[???X?[\???][??\???\?]?\???[???[??H? H]?\??X?\?Y\???YY?\?[? \???[ ?Y?] H??\?????[?????\?[HX?YY ?Y? ]\?\?[????[?[??H\?H ?]X?[ ? ?]Y?K ^H??[?YX?[] B?\?HY?][X]H[[??]X?? ??][?[??X?[YB???[??[?H [? Y??[??????Y]\?\?\???^H]?H??? H \??Y H??\??Y[???Y?\?XB?Y?Z[?? [K?] H ??H?][?[? H??]?\??K???H ??]]Z[[YY
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