The Chief Imam of the DaaruNaim Central Mosque in Lagos, Sheikh Imran AbdulMajeed Eleha, spoke with The Punch about insecurity in the North, misconceptions surrounding Islam, Christian genocide, and the motivations behind violent groups.
When he was asked about Islamic groups such as ISIS, ISWAP, and Boko Haram, which claim to be acting in the name of Islam while killing other people, Eleha responded by emphasizing that their actions do not reflect the teachings of the religion. He reiterated that these organisations, like the historical Khawarij, misrepresent Islam to justify violence and should be regarded as criminals rather than genuine adherents of the faith.
He said, “Don’t mix things up, ISIS has a different cause — they are fighting for territorial control over parts of Syria and Iraq, under the leadership of Abubakar Baghdadi.
“Their activities are limited to Iraq and Syria. They are fighting for land and governance; not Islam. They do not represent Islam, and people should stop judging Islam based on their actions.”
He emphasized that the actions of those engaged in conflicts over government, resources, or territory should not be used to judge all Muslims or Islam as a religion.
He explained that Al-Qaeda, for instance, was originally formed to support Afghanistan in its war against Russia, with fighters contributed by some Arab countries and backing from the United States at the time. This historical context, he noted, is why some people accuse America of having once sponsored Al-Qaeda.
Ironically, he added, the very individuals who helped create the group now label it as terrorist. Even the late Osama bin Laden had cooperated with the United States before relations deteriorated. He concluded that Al-Qaeda’s actions are not representative of Islam, nor do they reflect the teachings of the faith.
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