Deborah Samuel: My encounter with a Muslim woman

As the bizarre killing of the Christian young lady hits the world, with condemnation from different quarters and justification from different quarters as well, an incident came to my mind that formed my experience some years back.

Before I go into my personal experience with a fanatic Muslim woman, it is very pertinent to put on record that the issue of religion has become one of the most delicate issues with a caution label, “handle with care”. Ordinarily it should not be among items that should be causing chaos, but since human beings have attached so much emotion to it, then religion will always generate tension as anything under the auspices of emotion.

Human beings who are practioners of various religions have tried down through the ages made efforts to fight for ‘God’ they worship who is said to be powerful but always not seen to be powerful to fight for himself only for the adherents to fight for him and many cases fight dirty for that matter.

As a Christian, I grew up with and among Muslims, I had good relationship with them, not for once had any clash or misunderstanding with them. I studied Islam in the course of my theological studies in my seminary formation which largely helped to have better understanding with Muslim faithful especially on the field as a Priest working in the midst of people in any community. As a Catholic seminarian, I equally studied African traditional religions as a course which equipped a Catholic Priest to have first hand information about the adherents of African traditional religions and how to relate with them on the field of mission.

As a Catholic Priest in all the places where I have worked, I have had friendly relationship with the Muslims as well as adherents of African traditional religions. Not just in the South West but also in Abuja.

I recall an experience while travelling through a Nigerian road, in a state in the south, my car had a deflated tyre, it was in a lonely road. As I was looking for who to help out because the truck I was driving needed help to remove the tyre and to put back a spare tyre. Behold three Fulani guys appeared along the road, fear came upon me and my fellow travellers. We were all quiet, looking at them suspiciously with alert of caution. They walked towards us and made signs to us if we needed help and we answered in affirmation immediately. These Fulani guys helped us even when I was in a Priestly attire of cassock. It was a time when most kidnapped cases were traced to them. You can imagine what my thoughts could be at that time, that even Fulani men could be good to a Priest and his fellow travellers. Indeed they were good, they were God sent helpers especially in a lonely road.

Three days back, a commercial motorcyclist known as okada had a crash while carrying a female passenger, sympathisers swung into action to give them first aid treatment, which lasted few minutes with the injured woman needed to be taken to a hospital. She needed someone to take her to the hospital, but every other person was quiet and giving excuses except a young Muslim woman who rushed into her shop,picked her head hijab and mounted the okada at the back of the injured passenger. I traced them to the hospital, met her there while the injured passenger was receiving treatment. I took time to explain to the hospital staff that she doesn’t know the injured woman from Adam but was just a Good Samaritan.

Now to the main story, which is my encounter with a Muslim woman at a public space some years back. The venue was Transcorp Hilton hotel, Abuja. I went there for a day programme. As it is a public place, in the course of the programme, there were interactions with different people from all walks of life. It happened that I started discussing with a Muslim woman from Kano. I shared my knowledge of Islam with her, told her how Prophet Muhammad(SAW)was helped by a certain Christian monk named Sargis-Bahira, recognised the signs of prophethood in Muhammad(SAW). The young Muhammad(SAW)was an adolescent at the time, travelling with a Meccan caravan accompanying his uncle Abu Talib. The Nasorean Mandean monk interacted with Muhammad(SAW), he got a revelation that Muhammad(SAW)would become a prophet.

Immediately I mentioned this part of Muhammad (SAW) that a Christian monk helped him about his calling as a prophet, in fact John of Damascus wrote some lines about Muhammad(SAW),about his meeting with Sargis-Bahira(Earlypolemical biographies of Muhammad(SAW)identified Bahira as a secret religious teacher to Muhammad)having heard this,the woman flared up, started shouting and showing anger. She said “that’s an insult to the prophet and I won’t take it” I tried to calm her down but she shouted the more and I quietly found a way of leaving the place. You can imagine if not God that intervened, who knew what would have happened?

Just yesterday, a friend was sharing with me the experience of her cousin in Kaduna, some years back. The cousin was discussing with a Muslim lady that Jesus Christ and Muhammad(SAW)are not equal, that Jesus Christ is God and Muhammad(SAW)is not God, that Muhammad(SAW)is a Messenger and a prophet. It became a big argument, which led to threat to her life. A leader in the community simply told them that if they love the life of the lady, she must leave the environment if not what they would see would be more than their imagination. The lady was sent away from the community by her parents to avert imminent danger posed to her life.

This piece is telling the readers that they should be careful of sharing religious content outside theirs with people from other religions especially if such persons come from extremists background.

Make sure you learn to leave such a scene once you see that trouble is brewing, don’t wait to see the epic movie to the end because that may end you.
Don’t presume that the person you’re discussing with is normal or sane and will see your discourse from the point of view of intellectual discussion.

Get to know that some persons are religious fundamentalists and they don’t have sense of reason rather they are very volatile, violent and irrational about things that touch their religious ego.

I advice you see some discussions as no go area for peace to reign and if you must talk, watch the environment where you hold such discussion.

If you are living or working in the northern Nigeria and staying in a predominantly populated environment, just be a wise steward. Be a Christian you are, but avoid unnecessary arguments with extremists
My encounter with the woman didn’t make me to stay away from Muslims rather it makes me to appreciate the spirit of inter religious dialogue. Religious leaders should do all they can to enlighten their followers how to handle reactions towards their religions.

Religious co existence is a reality that cannot but be. The reality is that all of humanity cannot have just one religion, hence everyone must learn religious tolerance. That is the way to go.