The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has urged Muslim youths across Nigeria to remain calm and avoid any form of public protest in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat to attack Nigeria.
In a statement released on Sunday, Ishaq Akintola, executive director of MURIC, also cautioned Islamic groups against forming militant outfits as a reaction to the threat, warning that such groups risk harassing innocent Nigerians, including fellow Muslims.
Akintola advised the Nigerian government to handle the issue through diplomatic channels, emphasizing that confrontational or emotional reactions could exacerbate tensions. “Muslim youths, North and South of the country, are advised to avoid public protests over Trump’s threat. We should allow the Nigerian government to handle the matter through diplomatic channels,” he said.
He further explained that Trump’s warning should be understood as a threat directed at terrorist groups rather than against Muslims or Nigeria as a whole. “Taken contextually, Trump’s threat should be seen as directed at terrorist groups. If that is the case, our response to the threat is straightforward. Terrorists are not part of us,” Akintola stated.
He condemned terrorism as incompatible with Islam, saying, “Their methods stand in contradistinction to the tenets of Islam. We condemn terrorism, and we will not associate with those who kill and maim. We reject ideologies of kidnapping and extortion. They are alien to Islam.”
Akintola added that any U.S. military strikes targeting Boko Haram, ISIS, or ISWAP “will make sense,” noting that these extremist groups have caused harm to both Muslims and Christians.
However, he warned that indiscriminate attacks on innocent Muslims or mosques would be perceived as acts of aggression and a continuation of historic Christian crusades. “Such strikes will be considered aggression and a resumption of the Christian crusade of the 19th century if innocent Muslims and mosques are targeted or if Muslim leaders are attacked or become victims of rendition and the attendant waterboarding,” he cautioned.
Reaffirming MURIC’s commitment to its motto, ‘Dialogue, Not Violence,’ Akintola urged Nigerians to embrace peace and tolerance. He called on Muslims to reject hatred or vengeance toward Christians or foreigners, emphasizing that hospitality remains a fundamental value in Islam.
