JNI says Kukah Christmas sermon fired poisoned arrow at Muslims

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar-led Jama’atu Nasril Islam has accused the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, of targeting Islam with his Christmas day message. The group said Kukah’s homily was a poisoned arrow fired at the heart of Islam, targeting Muslims across the country. The JNI statement is coming three weeks after bishop’s message was released in which it accused President Muhammadu Buhari of nepotism. A statement by the JNI on Wednesday, titled, ‘Press release on Reverend Kukah’s Christmas homily,’ signed by the JNI’s Secretary General, Dr Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, described Kukah’s message as “irresponsible and seditious.” It stated in part, “Though the message is disguised as a political hogwash to deceive the innocent, there is no doubt that it was a poisoned arrow fired at the heart of Islam and Muslims in Nigeria, hence the need for this intervention. “The bishop statement was a prepared address considering the occasion and the audience; one cannot but agree that it was a calculated attempt to insult Islam which is typical of him. “His veiled insinuation that Muslims have a pool of violence to draw from is disgusting, disheartening, as well as condemnable. “Responsibly, Christmas homilies should come with messages of hope, unity, mercy, forgiveness of the Supreme Being and resilience through prayers, especially in this trying time. “The bishop’s message was however a clear deviation from well-established norm across the globe.”