 |
| Photo by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford |
| Samuel
Dante Dali, president of Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN--the Church
of the Brethren in Nigeria) at the World Council of Churches 10th
Assembly in Busan, Republic of Korea |
Samuel Dante Dali, president of Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria
(EYN--the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), attended the World Council
of Churches 10th Assembly as delegate for the Nigerian Brethren. Here
he talks about the increase of terrorist violence in northeast Nigeria
where members of EYN have been among the many killed in attacks by
extremist Islamists.
What is going on with EYN in Nigeria?
“We thought that the situation was getting better, when the
government placed a state of emergency in three states. But recently
terrorists mobilized especially in Yobe State, attacked churches,
military offices, and police, and they also went to other parts of the
country where most of our churches are. They attacked Christians from
house to house and burned almost every church in the Gwoze and Gavva
areas. Most of the EYN church is in these areas close to Cameroun. About
2,000 of our church members have fled to Cameroun as refugees.
“It makes us very worried that some government officials are part of
this. The state government could have acted to provide security for the
common citizen, especially when [the violence] becomes so intense. But
it appears the government is not doing much about it.
“Since the government is not doing anything, people try to mobilize
themselves to provide their own local security. Of course they are
armless. [Terrorists] come with AK 47s and especially with machine guns.
The people cannot face them, but what can they do? They can’t all run
to Cameroun.
“We as a church are just praying, and praying.
And sometimes we are very confused and depressed because there’s not
much you can do. The church cannot mobilize and provide security. The
resources aren’t there. And sometimes you can’t have a church service at
all. Worship is out of the question in some places.”
How many EYN churches are affected?
“About 30 percent of the whole of EYN. Churches in Maiduguri for
example, have a heavy military presence [for protection from
terrorists]. The church pays for feeding the soldiers and pays their
allowance. That’s how the churches can survive within this kind of
situation and have their services on Sunday.”
We have seen news reports of local civilian forces for protection. How is that working?
“I went to Maiduguri, and I heard about the civilian Joint Task
Force. I met some of them. They are very young people, some even five
years old. With sticks and swords. They were checking every car that
goes into Maiduguri. The idea was that some of those Joint Task Force
were members of the terrorists before, so they know who the terrorists
are. Whenever they find a terrorist, sometimes they beat them, sometimes
they take them to security.
“It made me even more angry with our government. How can untrained
civilians without arms become a security for the society? And after a
few months the terrorists came and ambushed this civilian Joint Task
Force and killed about 50 of them at once. So you see the danger.
“In the recent attack that happened, the armed men came from
Cameroun, Niger, and Chad, and joined together with Nigerian terrorists
to attack Maiduguri. The terrorists are not only Nigerians. They are
from the neighboring countries. And of course from Mali. Most of them
are trained in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon. So it is a global
problem.”
Where are they getting their guns and ammunition?
“That is another a big question because the arms are very
sophisticated, even anti-aircraft guns. So how are they getting in? Some
Nigerian politicians are part of the problem. They import guns for the
terrorists and supply them. Recently there was one immigration control
officer that was arrested, he was responsible for the terrorists in the
Yobe area. If you can find an immigration officer who is part of the
group, he is at the border controlling importation of weapons.
“Generally our problem is government politicians who are not
interested in the life of the citizens. They are busy fighting one
another, so they sponsor this kind of terrorist activities. They
themselves do not understand it will get out of control and they will
also be affected eventually.”
Is there a strong movement to have two separate states, northern Nigerian and southern Nigeria?
“Because of the tension that has been happening Nigerians have been
calling for a national conference to discuss whether Nigeria should live
together or separate. This is not going to be good for the country. If
Nigeria splits, I think that’s the end of Nigerian society. Nigeria will
get into a crisis that will affect the whole of Africa.
“The struggle of Nigeria is not against a foreign-dominated
government like in South Sudan. It’s within, against each other. So if
it splits, it will not split in two. You will have warlords in different
sections of the country fighting one another. By the time the United
Nations comes to pacify the situation, they will have killed
themselves.”
Does the church have a role to play in the middle of all this?
“Before my recent trip to Indonesia, I thought the church could do
nothing other than to develop itself. My thinking has been that we
should forget that we have a government. Let us as the church do what we
can do for our members within the capacity and the opportunity we have.
“So we are trying in EYN to develop our own schools, to develop our
own health service, to promote our own agricultural activities. Even
actually try to create a bank for ourselves.
“If the schools are getting bad, we can create a standard and our
children will not lose their education. And then if we focus on
agriculture, we can show our people how to develop whatever they can
develop within their local community. And then with the health service,
we may not need a government hospital. And the bank--most of our members
send their money in a government bank which is mostly controlled by
these politicians. So if we have our own bank, the church will save our
own income within this bank so we can give it to our members to do their
business, to improve themselves, and to empower themselves
economically.
“But when I went to Indonesia, my mind began to change from a narrow focus to a wider focus for Nigeria.”
Say more about this conference in Indonesia.
“Myself and a pastor who is teaching about Islam at the Theological
College of Northern Nigeria, a Muslim lady who is participating in an
interfaith group with EYN, and the coordinator of the Peace Program of
TEKAN [Christian council in northern Nigeria] went with the purpose of
sharing our experience as Christians under Muslim persecution in Nigeria
and also to hear from them as Christians in a Muslim predominant
community.
“The first thing I discovered was that most of the interfaith and
peace movement in Indonesia was supported and sponsored by Muslims. And
most of the Muslims in Indonesia thought that a true Muslim would never
force anyone to be converted to Islam. And that a true Muslim would
never kill anybody. They also stress and emphasize diversity and
pluralism as phenomena that must be recognized and respected.
“We visited Islamic schools, and in each of these they tried to
organize a peaceful and interfaith dialogue with other communities. We
went into the third biggest mosque in the world, built with contribution
of Christians. And then there is a cathedral, also built with the
contribution of Muslims. That gave me the impression that actually not
all Muslims are fanatic mad people, the way we have them in Nigeria.”
There is hope that Muslims and Christians can live together in peace?
“Exactly. I am trying to talk about what Indonesia is doing, and trying it in Nigeria.
“For example, during elections we should only vote for people who are
interested in peace and bringing the community together. And we should
influence the media. We need to write, and speak ourselves, and talk to
people, and give them an alternative view of what is happening.
“Even though the church is under persecution we can still focus on
addressing some social problems regardless of tribe or religion, that
can help the community. In the Christian hospital we visited in
Indonesia, five percent of workers are Muslim. In Nigeria we can do
something like that, recruit Muslims to work in some of our
institutions. If we can get faithful, trained ones. But it will be an
enormous challenge.
“That’s my new understanding: I think it’s possible that Christians
and Muslims as a community can live together and address the common
problems affecting all of us.”
What is one thing you want the church in the US to know about the church in Nigeria?
“That EYN is going through the most difficult time of its existence,
and we don’t have a solution. For me, it almost made me resign from the
work. People are being killed and I cannot do anything. I say, what is
the point of my leadership? It is very difficult. Very, very difficult.
“Church members are taking refuge at Kulp Bible College. Sometimes
providing food for them is difficult. EYN depends on offerings from
members so when the members are terribly affected, the whole church is
affected. Sources of income for the headquarters are gone. It is very
painful to see members who have been sources of support to the church,
and now they are homeless.
“I’m asking, what is the global church going to do about this global
problem? The terrorists have a network. But does the church have a
network to handle the problems of the world?
“I think we need to do something more than just a prayer. Of course,
prayer is number one. But there’s something else needed to encourage one
another. You cannot stop the situation completely but I think it’s
important we come close to one another.
“I have received letters from the US, from church members. We
compiled them and sent them to all the district church councils in the
form of a big book so that the members can read it. The members feel
that someone cares about them and someone is worried about their
situation. You give them some comfort that they are not alone.”
In a follow up conversation, Dali shared at
length and more personally about how the situation has affected him and
his church. How can church leadership tell members not to try to defend
their homes and families, he asked, expressing the struggle to face a
virtually impossible situation and yet maintain a voice for peace.
He characterized the violent extremist Islamist movement as a demonic
possession of the spirit of Islam. His greatest fear is that he and
others in EYN may let the horrors of the situation push them into
enmity, and that demon might possess them as well. There are times he
has to stop listening to stories of suffering and death, to protect
himself from being overtaken by hatred.
How can Brethren in the US help? No one from outside Nigeria can
solve this problem for the Nigerians, Dali said, but US Brethren can
help provide disaster relief for refugees and can visit and encourage
the Nigerian Brethren with their presence. He requested the sending of
volunteer medical personnel, doctors and midwives to work in the
hospital EYN plans to develop.
He then asked something more difficult from the American church: in
the midst of killing and death, he wants the Church of the Brethren to
remind EYN of the need to focus on peace.
-- Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford is director of News Services for the Church of the Brethren.
Source: 11/11/2013 Newsline
The
National Youth Conference Office has announced its list of 10 speakers
for NYC 2014, to be held July 19-24, 2014, in Fort Collins, Colo. The
NYC Office also is encouraging all congregations to plan NYC
registration parties for the evening of Jan. 3 when online registration
opens at 7 p.m. (central time). Youth groups are encouraged to plan a
fun evening of food and games, and register together when the clock
strikes seven. Party ideas are available on the registration page of the
NYC website at 
