In recent days, a wave of misleading narratives has flooded the local and international media, and social media platforms, alluring to President Ibrahim Traore’s position on Sharia Law as anti-Muslim. There are also rumours and speculation in the social media about the threat to remove President Traore from power by August 4, this year on the 43rd anniversary of the 1983 revolution led by Captain Thomas Sankara (Peace Be Upon Him).
These attacks, which are nothing more than politically-motivated agenda, intended to tarnish the image and reputation of President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso. We are deeply disturbed by this unfortunate development in the Sahel region, and we wish to warn that the Burkinabe people are standing waiting to defend their land, leaders and government against any attacks.
To SaS-CaN, President Traore’s comments on the issue of Islamic Sharia in Burkina Faso have been misconstrued and taken out of context. The Burkinabe leader has never harboured any anti-Islamic belief. And it is not true that President Ibrahim Traore is using the highest office in his home country to target the Muslim community or Islamic scholars. SaS-CaN considers the allegations against President Traore as entirely false, baseless and made with malicious intent to mislead the public, especially when such provocative remarks are coming from religious leaders entrusted with guiding souls, not misleading them.
Let us not forget who the leaders of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) are; progressive leaders who are fighting to transform the entire Sahel region from a conflict zone into a fast-developing economy. The Sahel leaders have something common in them-their patriotic zeal, dedication and commitment to the cherished ideals of Pan-Africanism are unmatched. African leaders across the continent and the diasporas see the leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and the Republic of Niger as the three wise men and God-sent Messiahs for the Sahel region.
Rather than attacking the illuminating personality of these great leaders, the media and so-called Islamic Sharia Law advocates should recognize that citizens of the Sahel do not come as Christians, either Muslims, animists, atheists, or traditional worshipers, but as Africans or Black people created same way by Almighty God, the creator of the universe, bounded together by humanity seeking perpetuation of peace, unity, love and progress of the African continent. Malicious propaganda that subject Africans to degradation and dehumanisation only weakens the African continent and emboldens external forces that are eager to divide and destabilise the continent along ethnic and religious bigotry.
President Traore’s rejection of Sharia Law is not meant to promote foreign interests against Africans, but rather, to avert an escalation of the ongoing terrorism war in the Sahel region. It comes to say that the propaganda against the illuminating personality of President Traore, which is being peddled in the media only fits into a broader pattern of deliberate distortion of truth with the intent to damage a person or state. By snuffing the public with misleading, malicious and unfounded anti Traore’s claims being peddled by biased media outlets, demonstrates a reckless interpretation of core principles of Islam, which include justice, dignity and equality for all.
It is essential to state crystal clearly and without apology that President Ibrahim Traore and his counterparts in Mali and the Republic of Niger are not anti-Islam as detractors want their masters to believe overseas. What the Burkinabe leader wants people to know is that there is not going to be two Burkina Faso, or two Mali or two Niger and that there is no state religion in the Sahel. The three Sahel leaders are Muslims, and the countries they represent, i.e. Mali, Burkina Faso and the Republic of Nigeria are not tied to any religion.
To call President Traore anti-Muslim because he condemns religious fanaticism and extremism is not just a theological error, but total mischief making and to create a breeding ground for violence. SaS-CaN recognises the right to free speech as exemplified in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, dating back to Ancient Egypt. Much as SaS-CaN is committed to defending faith right, we see the much talk of ensuing Sharia Law in the Sahel region, as a ploy to escalate the ongoing terrorism war against Africans in the region.
President Traore would like to see economic, political, social and cultural development and transformation in Burkina Faso and not Sharia Law that is promoted by international terrorist outfits. The Burkinabe leader does not want to go down in history as his leadership role created poverty, misery, social injustice, dilapidated health and educational sectors, economic hoodlums and degrading environment for his people and the Sahel region.
Common sense teaches that Sharia communities have become today theatres of war, violence, massacres and kidnapping, which are driven by ideology of extremism. Thus Sharia is only applicable in communities where Islam is the state religion, but not for instance in multi-religious, multi-faith societies like Burkina Faso or the Sahel region.
How do those Islamic scholars want Sharia to give expression in communities where Muslim parents have Christian Children and Muslim husbands have Christian or even animist wives and vice versa? There are Africans in Burkina Faso whose children do not go to mosque, whose children do not go to Church and whose children practice African traditional beliefs.
The proponents of Sharia Law, who are no less than international terrorist outfits and their political godfathers know it their wish will never be accepted anywhere in the Sahel region. They are the very agents who are hell-bent on prosecuting terrorism war against Africans in the Sahel region. We cannot afford the luxury of having different laws for a people of the same history, cultural background and heritage.
We support the position of President Ibrahim Traore on the issue of foreign designed Sharia Law, and we will oppose and condemn any attempt by international terrorist outfits, overt or covert, to introduce Sharia in any part of the Sahel region. With the above, SaS-CaN wants to warn fanatics in Islamic attires, extremists and traitors to know that the people of Burkina Faso, and of course the Sahel region are behind their authentic leaders.
SaS-CaN stands with the leaders of the Sahel, and thus rejects and continues to monitor the situation, we warn all other African leaders not to allow themselves to be used as satellites for destabilisation efforts in the Sahel region. We will not remain silent in the face of destabilisation efforts against the Sahel leaders.
God bless the AES!
God bless the Sahel region!!
Signed: Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh
President and Co-founder
The Sahel Solidarity Campaign Network
SaS-CaN
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