It is blasphemy not a joke the way some comedian actors use religious
imitations and names to crack laughter. To me is never a joke for
someone to use religious rites to play pun. Religion is a sacred
doctrine that requires special respect from all humanity.
The law of Nigeria forbids the use of discreed words on the religions
of people by any means or use any display that disputes the ethics of
any religion.
The Federal Republic of Nigeria operates two court systems and both
systems can punish for blasphemy. The Constitution provides a
Customary (secular) system and a system that incorporates Sharia. The
Customary system prohibits blasphemy by section 204 of Nigeria’s
Criminal Code. Section 204 defined blasphemy in a simple term as an
“Insult to religion”. The section of the constitution states that:
“Any person who does an act which any class of persons consider as a
public insult on their religion, with the intention that they should
consider the act such an insult, and any person who does an unlawful
act with the knowledge that any class of persons will consider it such
an insult, is guilty of a misdemeanour, and is liable to imprisonment
for two years.”
There is no doubt that most if not all Nigerian comedians are
entangled to this unlawful act of blasphemy. Comedians seek fund
through fun and abuse peoples’ religions while the people pay
exuberant amount as gate pass, seat behind, watch and laugh from the
mess some comedians are doing to their own faith.
The most devastating thing of all these, is people of other faiths who
have no knowledge and intellect of the religion of other people
intentionally tend to
dilute the religious rites of people. Meaning a Christian comedian
plays with the religion of Muslims while the case goes to Muslims
comedians.I look at this unlawful jest as catastrophic incidence which
will never yields an ideal divine endowment to our existence as humans
of knowledge and religion.
The Bible has many references that forbid blasphemy and acts that
disdain Jesus and Christianity; Exodus Ch.22:28 says, ‘ Do not
blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.’ and Psalm 22:23
talks about how Christians should honour Jesus. It says ‘You who fear
the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere
him, all you descendants of Israel!’
God created all of us to worship Him and He said “Do you think we
created you to play that makes you doubt of coming back to us?”
Qur’an, Al-Muminuun, 115. while, the case is the same with other
religions because there is no religion that entertains mockery on
itself. In Islam, it is said when people become loose to their
religion, the people will become wayward and lost the Lord’s glory.
Our comedians in home and outside plunged into blasphemy to crack
jokes for payment. Recently, in August, Comedian Sarah Silverman in
her play said “Jesus Is Magic.” The statement triggered one of the
pastors in Florida which called her “a witch,” “jezebel” and wish for
her “untimely death” because the preacher believed that Jesus is not a
toy.
The Black Jesus comedy by Quappiah Comedy is an abuse of religion and
a direct ridicule to the Holy Jesus. The act is a subvertion to
Christianity which is aimed to adulterate the minds of Christians
adherents. Also, the Yooyo production of the Hungry Pastor is a loath
and obscence video to children and the people at large. The video is
obscure to pastors which are men of truth and respect.
Chinedu Ani Emmanuel an Igbo Christian who is popular known as Sister
Nnkechi and Alhaji Musa can never do justice to Islamic religion and
the culture of Hausa people he is imitating to make living. His plays
are full of flaws to the condition of Hausa cultural norms and values.
Truly, Chinedu is sabotaging every effort of Islamic teaching and its
values while, his randy attitudes of womanising in his comic films are
not only parallel to the dignity of a Muslim Hausa man he is
representing but subjugating the good conducts of Islamic virtues.
Even the Muslim comedians participate in this deregulatory act. The
‘Mazaje ne’ funeral prayer comedy is a slap on Islamic clerics because
Islam has endowed Muslims with armful protective prayers and if an
Imam (Islamic Teacher) will run from a ghost or a dead resurrected
body it means Islam is insuffient. Lots of similar videos from Arabs
and Nigerians circulating on the internet are only posing threats to
our religions and ridiculing the adherents.
People should rise to protect their religions before they fades away
and become puppets in the hands of the coming generation by
constituting committees among them to halt this doom that is befalling
our existence, surely the act is envoking the wrath of the God upon
people.
Nigerians are always decrying for retrogressive changes and with all
the good effort of our leaders the country is facing some difficulties
to progress and peace, and no doubt the effect is from our woes
because we pay for mocking and abusing of the Lord that we lay our
lives and prospects.
The authority should stand to this and enact laws that will look at
the display and write-ups of comedians to reduce our burdens of
atroties to the entire nation. The authority concern should not only
rely on prosecuting offenders but should also create platforms and
channels to create awareness to the danger of this dooming act.
The clerics of all religions should stand before their congregation
and admonish the adherents on the effects of the nonchalant attitudes
of fighting the God. They should let their people know how those
dehumane attitudes are putting the country at stake of jeopardy.
Nigerian government should not neglect to take very drastic measures
on this creeping jeopardy because of our volatile nature and to save
our vulnerable youths from religious dilution and waywardness.
Religion is one of the cardinal guidance of man’s thought that
provides serene admosphere of peace and tranquility. Religion is the
soccour of human minds against odds and misery and when it is loose
lots of people will not have borders of committing atrocities. No
matter what we should give respect to our religions because of the
rewards we are certain to reap in the hereafter.
Goronyo, is a lecturer with Mass Communication, Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna, writes via:
[email protected]
