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A MUSLIM'S COMMENT 

The bloody Ekiti re-run , the Boko Haram, Hurricane Sanusi, the Eagles-inflicted national hypertension, the exit of Gani, a President-at-large, we thought we had seen it all and had started taking stock for the better-wished-away 2009, few days to its end.

But alas, we had not seen anything! Suddenly came the botched Fahrenheit 12/25, sparked by enfant terrible Farouk Umar AbdulMutallab, son of wealthy banker and immediate past Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Dr. Umaru AbdulMutallab FCA,FCCA.

For the wrongest of reasons, Farouk put Nigeria’s name in global limelight, the level of which only our football has been close to fetching us. Now being described as the ‘Nigerian terrorist’, ‘Nigerian failed bomber’, ‘Nigerian terror bomber’ and other nomenclatures, the 23-year-old Engineering graduate of the prestigious University College, London, suddenly became the 8th most searched name on google and overtook the likes of Kanu Nwankwo, JJ Okocha, Wole Soyinka as the most popular Nigerian ever. What a sad way to earn popularity.

Farouk Mutallab’s case is very saddening and as a Muslim myself, it beats my wildest imagination how such a young man could do that. From the internet postings of Farouk and what family members, friends, school mates in Lome and London, and people that know him in Kaduna have said of him, Farouk’s case is purely a case of misguidance and overzealousness.

Here is a young man that has everything one would crave for – wealthy family, best of education and above all, good looks. Most silverspoons have the tendency to misbehave, with womanizing and drug addiction their common transgressions. For this reason, I personally admire young children of the rich that try to toe the path of piety and religion in the face of intoxicating family affluence. Rather than flashing around his parent’s posh cars in the streets of Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and even London, as is common with silverspoons up there, Farouk took to religion at an early stage of his life, trying as much as possible to avoid women, partying, clubbing and socializing within limits. These are good deeds ordinarily untypical of wards of the super rich, but doing so without guidance, the young man easily fell prey of religious zealots and went into the extreme. What a pity!

I read ThisDay’s Yusuph Olaniyonu’s column this morning (01/01/2010) and these statements almost got me crying for Farouk: “….after reviewing the portrait of Abdulfarouk which has emerged from information so far pieced together about the young man, I became convinced that he is brilliant, well behaved, quiet and serious-minded……..he was interested in his religion but lacked proper guidance” After reading Farouk’s internet postings this is exactly my own thoughts too on Farouk. Unfortunately that misguidance has taken him to the peak of ignominy.

I am not an Islamic scholar, but I have read the whole Qur’an and authentic Islamic texts several times and I have never come across a place where killing innocent souls or oneself is sanctioned in Islam. If anything, both are strongly condemned in Qur’an and Hadiths. It therefore worries me when some of my Muslim brothers perpetrate such fiendish acts in the name of Islam.

Granted that the United States may not be the best of our friends in terms of policies and actions, especially with the support for Israel over Palestine and the unjust invasion of some Muslim territories, I honestly believe some of us Muslims overdo the resentment for United States. Yes, innocent lives may have been killed by American troops in Islamic nations, that, to me, is still not a justification for suicide bombing or any other form of exterminating innocent lives. In Islam, methodology is as important as intention. A well-intentioned action may be spoilt by wrong methodology. Pray, were the 278 Delta airliner passengers and the11 crew members the ones oppressing Muslims?

There are millions of Muslims in America, some citizens, some foreigners. Tens of Muslims have been elected or appointed into government positions in America. Current President Barack Obama has, through his actions and speeches, shown that he is also a friend of the Muslims, despite the risks that come with that in American politics. What more!

I congratulate the American government for the aversion of what could have been a sad reminder of Fahrenheit 9/11, I congratulate the 278 passengers and 11 crew members of the Detroit –bound Delta airliner for being alive to tell their story, I pity Farouk for being misled into such dastardly act, I sympathize with the Abdul Mutallab family, I sympathize with the government and good people of Nigeria for this global opprobrium we are currently facing courtesy of Farouk’s misguided act, and lastly, I sympathize with the good Muslims across the globe as we prepare for a renewed FYM(Flying While Muslim).