NATIONAL: Kukah’s Christmas homily ‘poisoned arrow fired at the heart of Islam’, says JNI

THE Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar-led Jama’atu Nasril Islam has lambasted the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah over his homily on Christmas day.

A statement titled, ‘Press release on Reverend Kukah’s Christmas homily,’ and authored by the JNI’s Secretary General, Dr Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, described Kukah’s message as “irresponsible and seditious.”

In the statement released on Wednesday in Kaduna, JNI described Kukah’s homily as a poisoned arrow fired at the heart of Islam and Muslims across the country.

The JNI statement is coming three weeks after Kukah’s message in which he accused President Buhari of gross nepotism.

The statement reads 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.”