Eid-El-Kabir: ‘Extremism Is Like A Cancer,’ Buhari Challenges Muslims On Good Virtues
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The President has said the greatest commitment to Islam is for Muslims to put its good virtues into practice.
In his Eid-el-Kabir message on Saturday, he asked Muslims in the country to make justice and righteousness the guiding principle of their everyday life.
President Muhammadu Buhari made the remarks in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu.
“Extremism is like a cancer, which must be detected and destroyed from its early stages of growth,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.
He added, “We should be the mirror through which others see the good virtues of our faith.
“Islam is a religion of peace and we should avoid violent extremist ideas that give Islam a wrong name because our conducts leave more lasting positive impressions than what we say by word of mouth.”
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According to President Buhari, violent extremism is the greatest challenge facing Islam today and the only way to neutralise its evil influence is for the people to distance themselves from the activities and teachings of those who preach indiscriminate violence against innocent people.
He also advised parents to protect their children from the deadly exposure to violent extremists who manipulate and exploit such children for their evil agenda.
President Buhari noted that Boko Haram became a deadly force and a major security scourge because Muslim societies were indifferent from the beginning to the activities of extremist preachers.
He, however, assured Nigerians that his administration would uncompromisingly deal with terrorism, kidnappings and other forms of crime in the country.
Despite recent attacks by the insurgents, the President explained that Boko Haram has been “so militarily weakened and scattered” by the military.
He noted that the terrorists have lost the capacity to occupy any part of the country, adding that military personnel were getting more equipped and trained.
President Buhari, therefore, advised Muslims to be tolerant and continue to work for peace, unity, national integration, and peaceful coexistence.