By Sodangi Jock John
Presented at Musalaha Conference”Breaking the wall of Separation’
Place :Coventry Cathedral
Date : 21/05/2011
My name is Sodangi John; I am born in a Christian family in northern Nigeria, Kaduna state to be precise. Both of my parents are indigenes of Kaduna. I live and grow up in a community full of cultural and religious diversity; I matured with a default sense of embracing people of different cultures and believe. However, I am faced with the reality of life when religious conflict suddenly erupts in my state claiming the life of many. I stand between the options of participating, ignoring or possibly contributing in bringing a stop to this evil that has taking the life of thousand.
Nigeria is quite diverse and big compared to other Africa countries, with a population of about 150 million people, 250 ethnic groups and 500 languages. Divisions among Nigerians use to be regional than religion despite the vast ethnic diversity in each region. More so, the 50 Naira note currency of Nigeria have the picture of three people group representing the three region and the three regional languages spoken in Nigeria. From the west “Yoruba”, North “Hausa” and South “Igbo” The picture shows how we always classify ourselves, as every Nigeria is quick to ask a fellow Nigerian what part of the country they come from. In other words are you Igbo, Hausa or Yoruba meanwhile being ignorant of many minority ethnic groups found in each region like the one I belong to. However, in recent time Nigeria has been making headlines in BBC because of it continuous sectarian violence in the North and also kidnaping by Militant in the south among many other issues in the country. Although motivated by different agenda, both glitches continue to rob both the rich, poor and common Nigerians the privilege to freedom and life and also the entire country to function at her best.
Nonetheless, I lived in my home state Kaduna throughout my life. As an adult of 26 years old, I still behold a childhood memory of my lovely mixed neighborhood full of fun and live, as people happily live in unity with one another. I vividly recall memories of the beautiful picture of Christmas and the Sallah celebration in my community, People exchanging food and greeting card and returning visits. Trust me there can never be a better picture of celebration and harmony than the one I experience in my community. Furthermore, as child in primary school I was able to recite the Muslim prayer even though I have no idea of what it means because it is in Arabic. And it might also interest you to know that I still can. Similarly, my Muslim friends can also recite the Lord’s Prayer knowing full-well what they are saying because it is in English, strange but true. However, in recent time my community, state and region have become a shadow of itself as religion now became a tool of violence, rage, hatred and wickedness. Issues of religion become very sensitive and at a slight utterance of speech or an act that is perceived to be offensive to another religion many lives will be lost. Although with a long history of ethnic crisis in 1992 which consequently lead to religious crisis in some part of the state back then, peace and stability was restored in Kaduna. Until in the year 2000, when the government propose to introduce Sharia law and was protested by Christian Association of Nigeria Kaduna chapter therefore leading to an outbreak of crisis across the state and other parts of the northern region. Thereby, claiming the lives of over 3000 people in Kaduna and further creating tension, break down of trust and relationships between Muslims and Christians. Therefore, makes the state vulnerable to future violence. Consequently, leads to more conflict in 2002 and most recently in 2011 after the presidential election.
Gradually Kaduna State is becoming divided, as people build a wall of separation with each other using the bricks of hatred, anger, fear, doubt, bitterness and vengeance as a result of loss of property or loved ones during the crisis. That has also result to the moving of Muslims from southern part of the state to north, which is Muslim dominated and Christian from North to the South which is Christian dominated because of fear of reprisal attack on both side. Notwithstanding my relationship with my Muslim neighbors is still in a good shape and that has left me wondering with a very complex question of who is fighting who? Not ignoring the fact that it is a Muslim /Christian clash I kept pondering on what propels this continuous circle of violence. But in as much as I am disturb with this problem, I kept my distance from the issue just like many other Nigerians thinking I have little or no influence to bring change in the situation.
However, coming for the reconciliation and justice course here in England in 2010 is one of the major breakthroughs in life as my theology and response of “Us and Them” is being challenged and I realized that using this term is just a way of differentiating but rather a way of classifying what I believe is good and what is bad. During the course I have discovered that sometimes I dehumanized Muslims and failed to see the big picture of a problem, but instead I only view it from my perspective and make conclusions those appeals and suit my story. Now I learn to see things differently by looking at the big picture and also listening and reasoning with others. I also develop passion to work in northern Nigeria with the aim to rebuild and restore broken relationships and further bring reconciliation. I am not standing here to condemn anyone person or a group of people, I am not here because I am the good guy and again I am not here to romanticize the horror that has befall my community and country. but I am here because I made a choice, a choice to respect , value, honor and above all love others. With the help of God my choice makes me a better person than I use to be. That is why I stand before you speaking with the authority of love that give me the power to conquer hate, with an authority of forgiveness that surpasses vengeance and lastly with the passion and determination to actively participate in breaking this circle of violence. All these would never be possible without me first acknowledging the human in others.
Finally, Salim when teaching in the school of reconciliation and Justice in February highlighted the importance of history in breaking the circle of violence; how we narrate past event and how we remember what has happen determines how the future will look like. It either brings the next generation together or tears them apart. He furthers stress the important of identity and the power of forgiveness, if we truly build our identity in the values of our belief rather than our locality, ethnicity or nationality I strongly believe that we will learn how to value human life, relationships and honor one another which I believe is what we need to make the world better than it is today..