Growing Atheism in Northern Nigeria:

AlJazeera conducted a research on the growing trend of Atheism among the Muslim community of Northern Nigeria. This trend is growing among educated youths in the North.

They no more believe in God because as they claim they do not see God. They lost Faith in the existence of God.

Faith is like love, it can not be forced. Only the compound ignorant Wahhabi terrorists try to force people to convert to Islam. If Faith is fake then it is not Faith.

This is an ideological warfare that only the power of reasoning should be use. Don't waste your time quoting the Glorious Quran or Prophetic Traditions for people who do not believe in the existence of God.

I have a short story:

When we were at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, a brother introduced me to his friend who became an Atheist. We became friends with the Atheist. In his free time he will visit me and we will discussed. He described me as a "Crude Idealist". He once asked me about the Cuban Revolutionary, Ernesto Che Guevara. I told him I am his student. He was shocked and asked me which type of Islam am I practicing? I told him the Islam that seek for knowledge to Sin (China)! He laughed!

One day he brought his cloths to press in my room. So when he started pressing his cloths with the pressing Iron, a thought came to me. I asked him:

"What is making this Pressing Iron work?"
He answered "Electricity"
I asked again "Where is the "Electricity?"
He pointed to the cable.
I said to him "Show me the Electricity, I want to see it?"
He became confused. And he confessed that he can not see the electricity. I asked him "Why did you believe in what you can not see?" He was silent! I told him that I can not physically see God but the Effect of the existence of God is everywhere. The next morning he attended the Subh prayers in congregation.

Solution:

Dogmatism will never be a solution and blatant condemnation will not solve this problem. Takfirism (excommunication) can not solve this problem. Wahhabis will only worsen the problem.

Writings on ideology, belief and the existence of God by scholars and intellectuals is one method that can help ease this problem. Debates on TV and Radio with converted Atheist is another solution. Competent Tafsirs of verses of the Quran on God existence by competent scholars is another method to solve this problem. And show understanding, not making Atheists become outcast in our society. Do not forsake them. Reach out to them, discuss. Hear their reasons and provide answers to them. The detailed description of God by Imam Ali (as) and other A'Immah (as) is most important here. Who knows God more than these Treasures of Guidance?

Harun Elbinawi
elbinawi@yahoo.com

The educated youths are loosing touch with the justification with which their fathers were imprisoned in the mind and coerced into mental slavery.

Don't ask me why I think most Islamic cleric supported Bokoharam (Education is sin) at it unset

Religion is the world's Sickness

The eventual rejection of religion is bound to happen in the North. It is a tool with which the elite oppress the poor. It is a pity God is being rejected alongside religion.

The current knowledge of God does not seem to satisfy the current happenings in the world today. ATHEISM tries to discard it altogether.

OP,

Your friend was not a serious atheist. Which kind cheap conversion be that one nah.

"Show me electricty" and the next day he was at prayers with you. Haba!

H

The truth is, the Aboki can no longer do wat Mohammad ask of them.



They are tired of commiting suicide for invisible 72 virgins.



Seun Osewa is their President.

Honestly, we need more northern muslim youths to convert to atheism or at least stop practicing the extreme form of Islam.

Religion is one big problem dividing this country. I'm sure if we do away with all these religions (both Christianity and Islam) nobody will be talking about Biafra again.

There are probably not more than 1000 atheists in the whole North. Same with Southern Nigeria. I've been an atheist for a long time since I was a 2nd year student in UNN and till today, several years later, I've only met one atheist in real life. Nigerians are probably the most indoctrinated people in the world with religion. Majority of Nigerians don't even know something like an "atheist" exists and can't conceptualize the possibility of such an existence. It's always entertaining when I tell people that wish to preach to me that I'm not a "believer" and they stare at me like I'm an alien or something.

An Hausa friend of mine who is deeply in love with meditation has emerged from the closet to become an atheist of the first magnitude. He is a NORTHERNER. I am sure you know what comes with being one . You are nurtured in a strictly religious environment. You are told that your aim in life is to worship Allah till you breathe your last. All other enthusiasms are vanities,you must stay away from them. Western education,you will find out, is next in rank to apostasy. When you have all the above ingredients ,you know ,for a fact,your entire life will be of service to Allah ,which is not a bad idea actually,and you are living the life of a real northerner .

This news gladdens my heart big time.

Religion, particularly the Abrahamic ones (Islam, Christianity, Judaism) are a plague and a curse to the blackman and I can't wait to see them eradicated. They breed nothing but hatred and intolerance while giving undue power and control to their managers.

The madness of Boko Haram and glorification of illiteracy in the North was always going to lead to this. There's a limit to how much indoctrination an educated mind can tolerate.

I hope more and more northern youths see the idiocy in these foreign religions and extricate themselves from the madness.

Obi1kenobi:
There are probably not more than 1000 atheists in the whole North. Same with Southern Nigeria. I've been an atheist for a long time since I was a 2nd year student in UNN and till today, several years later, I've only met one atheist in real life. Nigerians are probably the most indoctrinated people in the world with religion. Majority of Nigerians don't even know something like an "atheist" exists and can't conceptualize the possibility of such an existence. It's always entertaining when I tell people that wish to preach to me that I'm not a "believer" and they stare at me like I'm an alien or something.

yes oo I know the feeling.

Nice.
Rather than bombing people cos of religion.

People like Buhari and El rufai that hide behind religion to enslave people will suffer

Obi1kenobi:
There are probably not more than 1000 atheists in the whole North. Same with Southern Nigeria. I've been an atheist for a long time since I was a 2nd year student in UNN and till today, several years later, I've only met one atheist in real life. Nigerians are probably the most indoctrinated people in the world with religion. Majority of Nigerians don't even know something like an "atheist" exists and can't conceptualize the possibility of such an existence. It's always entertaining when I tell people that wish to preach to me that I'm not a "believer" and they stare at me like I'm an alien or something.

We have many atheist in Southern Nigeria, people are just scared of revealing their true identity, some don't want to hurt existing relationships they have with their friends, family and society.

Curlieweed:
OP,

Your friend was not a serious atheist. Which kind cheap conversion be that one nah.

"Show me electricty" and the next day he was at prayers with you. Haba!

that his friend is an unserious lunatic. Maybe it was hunger dat made him turn atheist