Trump's Threat: Soyinka Tells US President Nigeria's Real Problem
- President Donald Trump of the United States has been cautioned against making a religious prosecution claim in Nigeria
- Professor Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Laureate, gave the caution, adding that such a claim could lead to tension in the country and distort facts
- The literary giant explained that the real problem is not Christians or Muslims but religious extremists who go away with crimes without being tried
Professor Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Laureate, has cautioned President Donald Trump of the United States against making unverified statements about religious persecution in Nigeria.
He said such a claim could lead to tensions and distort the facts about the security challenges in the country.
Recently, Trump threatened military action in Nigeria and directed the US Department of Defence to prepare for "possible action" in Nigeria. He alleged that Christians were being killed in Nigeria and called on the government to swiftly stop the killings.
Source: Twitter
FG rejects Trump's allegation
The Nigerian government had earlier rejected the allegations and maintained that all faiths were being affected by the insecurity in the country.
Reacting to Trump's allegation, Soyinka maintained that the portrayal of the crisis as Christians being the only victims merely oversimplified a complex conflict and could inflate religious hostilities in the country.
His statement reads in part:
“We must separate Nigeria’s long-standing internal problems from President Trump’s recent response.”
Vanguard reported that he stressed that the dichotomy between Christianity, Islam and others has been in existence for decades, noting that it becomes "horrendous" when politics is mixed with the religious differences.
Soyinka explains weaponisation of religion in Nigeria
According to Soyinka, religion has been weaponised by extremist groups for economic and political gain. He added that unfortunately, political leaders have failed to hold the perpetrators accountable, which has given room for impunity to flourish.
Soyinka cited the case of a student who was lynched over alleged blasphemy, and her killers boasted in a video, yet they were not punished. He noted that such is the case of justice failure, which deepened the perception of religious war.
He noted that Nigeria is "dealing with extremists", which he further broke down to "political Islamists, known sometimes as ISWAP or Boko Haram", and explained that the issues were not "Muslims as a people.”
Soyinka told the US president that the groups have ties with terror networks on the global stage, and they have access to advanced weapons that challenge the Nigerian military
The professor's comment joined many other prominent Nigerians who have rejected the claim of the US president, which was said to be not backed by verifiable data. Trump's claim has been rejected by the European Union, which even called for respect for Nigeria's sovereignty.
Source: Twitter
Soyinka speaks on US visa ban
Legit.ng earlier reported that Wole Soyinka disclosed the only condition that could make him accept an American visa.
The professor also made it known that he had no issue with the American people, but he would not visit their embassy for the visa.
The literary icon also commented on the reason he has been keeping mute about the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
