Shun violent extremism, Buhari tells Muslims

President Muhammadu Buhari has admonished Muslims in the country to avoid extremist ideas that give the religion a bad name.

In his Eid el-Kabir message to Muslims in the country made available to the media in Abuja on Saturday, he said the greatest commitment to Islam is for Muslims to put its good virtues into practice, and by making justice and righteousness the guiding principle of their everyday life.

President Buhari explained that “we should be the mirror through which others see the good virtues of our faith.’’

He added: “Islam is a religion of peace and we should avoid violent extremist ideas that give Islam a wrong name because our conduct leaves more lasting positive impressions than what we say by word of mouth.”

The President regretted that “violent extremism is the greatest challenge facing Islam today and the only way we can neutralise its evil influence is to distance ourselves from the activities and teachings of those who preach indiscriminate violence against innocent people. And this flies in the face of the teachings of Islam.’’

He advised parents to “protect their children from the deadly exposure to violent extremists who manipulate and exploit those children for their own evil agenda.’’

President Buhari noted that “Boko Haram became a deadly force and a major security scourge because Muslim societies were indifferent from the beginning to the activities of extremist preachers who manipulate innocent and gullible followers.’’

According to him, “extremism is like cancer, which must be detected and destroyed from its early stages of growth.’’

The President, however, assured Nigerians that the Boko Haram terrorism, kidnappings and other forms of banditry “would be dealt with uncompromisingly until we see the back of these evils plaguing our country.’’

The President explained: “Despite occasional setbacks, the Boko Haram militants have been so militarily weakened and scattered by our Armed Forces that they are no longer in a position to occupy any part of Nigeria, let alone hoist their flag and impose their reign of terror longer than 24 hours.

“As our armed forces get more equipped and trained, in addition to being more motivated and reinvigorated, this administration is relentlessly committed to protecting Nigerians no matter what it takes to bring a permanent end to this evil.’’

He advised Muslims to be tolerant and continue to work for peace, unity, national integration, and peaceful coexistence.