The building of one school is more dangerous to Muslims than the building of 100 churches says Boko Haram, the terrorist group. The group also described democracy as idolatry.
This was stated in the new book written by a faction of the extremist sect, the Islamic State West Africa Province.
In the book titled, ‘The Islamic State West Africa Province vs. Abu Bakr Shekau: Cutting out the tumour from the Khawarij of Shekau by the allegiance pledge of the people of nobility,’ the group expressed its disapproval of democracy and other ideals of western culture and chronicled the struggles of Boko Haram’s founder, Muhammed Yusuf.
It said: “Yusuf said on another occasion in the lecture: ‘This is what we decide and proceed on: that building 100 churches is lighter and less dangerous than the building of one school on this Western form. We have no doubt about that. This is our creed and this is what we have understood from God’s religion.”
The 124-page book said to have been published by the leader of ISWAP, Abu Musab al-Barnawi, stated further: “Consider a clear example: if 100 churches were built, would you see the sons of the Muslims in them?
“Or would you see the sons of the imam of the mosque in them? No, but rather they alone (professed Christians) would be worshipping in them. So, what we lack towards these churches is their destruction because they ascribe a son to God.
“As for the ‘Boko’ schools: you find in them the sons of imams and the sons of sheikhs claiming affiliation with ‘Ilm (knowledge), and the sons of so-and-so and so-and-so from those claiming affiliation with the Sunna, and what is taught in these schools is a greater danger than what is taught in the churches, so this is the main point.”
It is for this reason, according to the publication that Boko Haram, under the leadership of Yusuf and later Abubakar Shekau launched onslaughts against the federal government and communities in the North-east.
The group waged war on innovations in all their types, and in particular the innovation that had become predominant over West Africa, such as visiting the graves and performing tawaf around them, the Prophet’s birthday and other acts of innovation and prattles of the Tijanis and their acts of idolatry.”
On the stance against Western education, the book noted: “But the greatest condemned act the sheikh incited against was the idolatry of democracy and the foreign colonialist schools: i.e. what has been called Boko…. They faced no resistance in West Africa generally and there was proclamation in truth in no uncertain terms and there was no flattery besides it.
“From the intensity of the war of him and his students against them and encountering the ‘ulama of evil and their supporters and challenging them to mubahala over it, he and his students were called by the name of “Boko Haram”- i.e. Western ideas are forbidden.”
The insurgents vowed that they would continue to follow in the footstep of their leader to attack anything Western, particularly schools.
“So, we will expend our efforts to wage war on the idols that have spread in our time: the Western schools and democracy and working under the kafir system. So, we do not establish a lecture about prayer without also adding to it: avoid the idolatry of democracy, and working under it is forbidden, and not to be permitted.”
