This is thesecond time I’m writing about Islamic scholars involved in politics. The first
was when the controversial Kaduna based Dr. Ahmad Gumi intensified his mostlyone-sided and pedestrian criticisms of President Buhari’s personality.I argued at thetime that Gumi’s contemptible timidity with Buhari was mostly personal hatredborn out of mischief—the one that is untypical of a serious minded Islamicscholar.
Backto the main issue! Imam Dr. Idris Abdul’aziz is a very popular Islamic Scholar ofsalafi extraction in Bauchi with massive followership. He was a staunch criticof the Jonathan regime especially its handling of the Boko Haram insurgentsthat have ravaged the north east with fatal consequences. He was resolute ininsisting that the government of the day was not interested in ending the insurgencyat a time many other Islamic scholars were either afraid to talk truth to poweror were bought by material inducements to keep mute.
Theidea that religion and politics are inextricably linked is naturally positioningDr. Idris Abdul’aziz to wield relevance in Bauchi politics and beyond;particularly because of the following:
Firstly;activism in Islam is not a new phenomenon looking at the history of seriousminded Islamic scholars that have paid the supreme price for speaking truth topower. Dr. Idris Abdul’aziz is nurtured to be resolute when it comes tospeaking his mind particularly when he believes that the powers that be are definedby injustice and are consistently trying to malign and hoodwink the masses totheir own advantage.
Secondly,the idea that Islamic scholars should refrain from partisan politics amidst injusticeby the elites is nonsense. Islam has never been an isolationist religion, even inthe face of western-capitalist-democracy. The nexus between Islam and politicsis born out of the idea that governance, more than anything, has seriousimplication on religious propagation and practice. So the argument on whetherIslamic scholars or clerics should remain neutral does not hold much water—and Dr.Abdul’aziz being a cosmopolitan scholar is very much informed about this.
Thirdly;Dr. Idris criticisms are not motivated by quest for material wealth—they arepurely people’s driven. He has vehemently and on several occasions resisted financialinducements by political gladiators who have mastered the art of using religiousentrepreneurs to advance their political interest. His dexterity to resiststhese kinds of inducement has endeared him to his followers who firmly believedthat his Islamic activism is for the masses and on behalf of the Sa’adu Zungur’stalakawas.
Fourthly; Dr. Idris criticisms defy being onesided. He has characteristically and on several occasions criticised evenpeople of his salafi extraction when he believes that their actions orinactions contravene the teaching of Islam or was against the interest of thepoor. For instances, in the build-up to the 2019 general elections when YakubuDogara stood re-election against Gov. Abubakar’s anointed candidate—a popular Islamicscholar in Bauchi, Dr. Idirs was unequivocal in downsizing Dogara’s critics inview of the latter’s track records. This is very untypical—that an Islamicscholar will subliminally ‘support’ a non-Muslim to win elections as many thatwere desperate to lampoon him believed. But that wasn’t his idea. The idea wasthat Dogara’s influence was born out of love for his people and his ability to cushiontheir sufferings with various incentives, employment opportunities and empowermentprograms.
Fifthly;Dr. Idris Abdul’aziz’s influence in Bauchi politics in particular is because ofthe idea that his followers understood his background and personality which hascreated an image that plays strongly, especially his ability to remain neutralwithout being cowed into any sectarian divide. Thanks too to his financialmuscles.
Sixthly;he has been a vocal point for those who cannot speak—particularly Bauchiworkers and retirees who were denied salaries and pensions for months even inthe face of recession. Many have died as a result. So they find succour when hespeaks—even if it means just to console them.
Whatthe foregoing culminates is that Idris bAbdul’aziz will continue to shape,mould and mentor his students on the side of what he believes in—despite growingdesperation to silence him. And the more he’s brutalized by official feud, themore popular he becomes and the more the authorities will endear him to hisevolving supporters and followers.
Impliedly,it means he will continue to shape the views of his students and followers—who inthemselves poses heavy political quantum that decides who gets what; at leastpolitically.
Itwill be practically impossible to sideline and silence persons of his calibre—whoare not only masters of the art of rhetoric, but in themselves authorities withmuch education, massive followership and ability to stand for the hoi polloi.
They will only be silenced in the face of death!
Haruna can be contacted via [email protected]
The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect WikkiTimes’ editorial stance.
