“I’m just doing my
duty,” said Monsignor John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, the Archbishop of Abuja who
will become Africa’s newest Cardinal. Before leaving for Rome, he spoke of
peace and war, and distorted and true journalism true, but not limited to
Nigeria.
The 68 year old
Archbishop, a native of Kabba, a small town located in the geographical heart
of his country, Monsignor Onaiyekan is co-chairman of the Council of the
religious leaders of Africa. On October 31, after receiving the Pax Christi
Internationalis Peace Prize, he gave a speech on “risks” and “opportunities” of
globalization. Christians and Muslims, on occasion, must take “responsibility
for peace” starting from “their mutual relationships.”
Monsignor, you have
often been called bishop of peace and interfaith dialogue. What is your message
for Nigeria and Africa?
“To promote dialogue
and peace in Nigeria is only my duty. Every bishop must work for
reconciliation, peace and justice. There is nothing exceptional about what I
do. I have only one regret: that my efforts and those of the Church often do
not achieve the desired results. In Nigeria, particularly in the northern
regions, the violence continues. We bishops are trying to do our best. And
there is one thing that encourages us: the majority of Nigerians want to live
in peace. They want to live in peace regardless of religion, ethnicity or other
elements of diversity. ”
And what of the attacks
launched by Boko Haram? This group claims to be fighting for the implementation
of Islamic law across the country, including the predominantly Christian South.
“Behind the violence
there is only a small minority. And the challenge is: how do you reach this
minority, which so far has not been able to forgive and that continues to kill?
I am convinced that Nigeria is not ‘a lost cause’. Through dialogue we can
still work towards peace. Of course, you have to convince the government and
the largest possible number of people to join our effort. This is my mission in
Nigeria and in Africa.”
Saturday, you will
become the only new African cardinal. From eastern Congo, the geographical
heart of the continent, there has been painful news coming…
“Many parts of Africa
are still held hostage by armed conflicts, old and new. And the victims of
these conflicts are almost always the poor, innocent women and children. Too
few leaders capable of leading their countries while maintaining a broad
vision, which encompasses the whole continent! Often behind the wars in Africa
there is an attempt to grab natural resources. Our continent is one of the
richest in the world, but unfortunately we do not know how to govern it. Our
political leaders want power and riches. They do not care about people’s needs
and working for peace. ”
What does the world do?
“The international
community could play a positive role. But often it does not, because it is
controlled by world powers – and states that non-state actors – with interests
that do not coincide with those of the Africans. During the past Synod which
was held in the Vatican in October we made an appeal for Africa, an appeal
loaded with anguish. ”
What is happening in
Congo, with rebels advancing east of the country, is just the latest injury …
“One of the great
problems, not only in the Congo, is the trafficking of weapons. Who produces
the Ak47 rifles and light weapons continue to kill Africans? Where did they
come from? Who provides these? Is it possible that the world’s powers do not
know? The truth is that the arms trade is a huge business and it does not
matter if innocent people end up paying the bill. Even countries like Italy
know what happens, but they do nothing. ‘If we don’t sell them arms, the
Chinese will’ they say, to clean their consciences.”
Can the media make a
positive contribution? How to they comment on Africa?
“When I turn on the
television in Italy, I hear about the economic crisis that affects rich
countries and high-level diplomatic meetings. The only information about
African countries relate to attacks or disasters of various kinds. Nothing I
said about Africa for months, when suddenly appears the emergency in Mali,
because insurgents and terrorists took control of a part of the country.
Nigeria endures a similar treatment. I suspect that the journalists in my
country end up feeding the flow of ‘bad news’ because they understood that
these and not others will be taken up by the BBC or other information giants.
The preference for this type of news also concerns northern Nigeria. We tend to
talk about the tensions felt throughout the region as the result of a religious
conflict, distorting the facts. Just because Boko Haram militants shout ‘Allah
Akbar’ does not mean that they are true Muslims. As reflected in the sentences
and expressions of solidarity of the members of the Islamic community that
invariably follow every attack. The Boko Haram issue is very complex; it also
has social and political components. Millions of people are plagued by
unemployment and poverty and they can justly denounce the government’s
inadequacies. That said, social discomfort does not justify violence. Never. ”
MISNA
