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abujagirl
Guest
According to a 30-minute video clip released yesterday by the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Conflict and Security Challenges in the North, Boko Haram's highest decision-making body, also known as the sect's Shura committee, has accepted to dialogue with the Federal Government.
According to Daily Trust, the video was played for journalists at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Boko Haram members said in the video, though Allah enjoins them to fight enemies and infidels, He also enjoins them to accept dialogue whenever requested. The video was in Hausa and Arabic languages but was subtitled in English.
Muhammad Lawan dan Sulaiman,spokesman of the sect's Shurah committee, said it had become pertinent for the sect to "bend towards dialogue with the government as a reference to Allah's injunction".
According to him, "it is permissible to reach peace accord and lay down arms with reparation to or against us because of the Allah's saying when you turn to peace, turn to it with completeness and depend on Allah".
He said: "Thanks to Allah the Most High who enjoined us to fight enemies and the infidels who also enjoined us to answer the call to dialogue with the infidels and the enemies whenever they request for that. Praise also to the Noble Prophet of Allah Muhammad whom peace is upon him and his companions and those who fellow them in good faith up to the day of resurrection.
"We are indeed surprise with the visit paid to us by a dialogue committee set up by the Federal Government of Nigeria. More surprised, the committee met us in prison custody and explained to us reasons for their visit and also asked four fundamental questions. First, is it possible to dialogue and reach peaceful resolution of the conflict between our brothers and the federal government who are engaged in fighting? Second, which way is the dialogue going to follow?
Third, which assistance those of us in detention would give in realization of that? Fourth, what assistance do the detainees need to facilitate the dialogue?
"My response is as follows, with the hope that it is in accordance with Allah's injunction: Indeed, dialogue between the jihadists and the government is possible. This is because dialogue is well rooted in Islam as Allah says in the chapter of Anfal in the Quran that "if they turn to peaceful coexistence, you also should follow suit, you should also depend on Allah. Indeed, He is all-hearing and all-knowing. Alhafiz Ibn Kharhik said if they turn to dialogue, you should accept to do it'. It was based on these that when the pagans sought ceasefire for 10 years with the Holy Prophet in the year the treaty of Hudaibiyyah, the Prophet accepted to their terms, and that it was.