iPostThisWeek

The language we use to describe mass violence is never neutral. Words like genocide and pogrom carry immense historical, legal, and moral weight. In Nigeria, where Christian communities have endured repeated waves of violence, the debate over terminology is not merely academic; it shapes international responses, frames justice claims, and influences whether the world recognizes the urgency of intervention. To understand Nigeria’s situation, we must situate it within the long arc of history, comparing past pogroms and genocides, and examining how international law defines these crimes. Pogroms: Episodic Violence with Historical Roots The term pogrom emerged in Tsarist Russia in the late 19th century, describing mob attacks against Jewish communities. These pogroms were often tolerated or encouraged by authorities, leaving homes destroyed, synagogues desecrated, and thousands displaced. Example:   The Kishinev Pogrom of 1903 killed dozens of Jews, injured hundreds, and shock...

Introduction The early and medieval Christians have no theological or legal (in terms of biblical) perspectives in their perceptions of Islam, Prophet Muhammad and Muslims. Contrary to the Qur’an and Muslims who theologically, and legally perceived Christians and Christianity perhaps because of Christianity’s antecedents. Islam theologically presented a series of quandaries to early and medieval Christianity, such that some of them viewed Muslim's as pagans and some as heretics or schismatics. The Christian polemicists hardly used the term Islam or Muslim to identify their rivalry, instead, the preferences to terms such as ‘Saracens, Hagarenes, Arabs, Turks, Pagans, Moors or simply, those who follow the Law of Muhammad’ were prevalent. This writing aims to examine by typologies, the polemics of Christians that cover from the 8th century to the 15th century and discussing Christianity's arguments from the perspectives of:   St. John Damascene (675-753) Heresy and Heresia...

Table of Contents The Nez Percé People Catholic Teachings on Angels The Spirit, Weyekin in Nez Percé Tribe This writing is to briefly identify and recognize some cultural values of the Nez Percé tribe, especially their belief in Weyekin, often described as a personal guiding angel. The concept of a guiding angel provokes Catholic teachings about angels and comparison with the Nez Percé Weyekin, as the guiding spirit. But that will be a new piece of writing for the future. There can be a cross-cultural gleaning of ideas from nature, beliefs, and interactions.     The Nez Percé People The term Nez Percé, meaning “pierced nose” is the French coinage to describe the Nimiipuu tribe. The term Nimiipuu, meaning “we, the people” is a name the tribe used for themselves and their language, a part of the Sahaptin family. Early contacts with the Europeans, especially French explorers made the name Nez Percé popular because they unfairly adopted the name Nez Percé and u...

Table of Contents From the Qur’an The Being of God Himself The Polemics against the Trinity The Influence of Kalam Conclusion The Muslims’ perceptions of Christianity have always been based on the fundamental principle of Islam, that is, there is no god but God and Muhammad is the prophet of God. Every argument takes bearing from the fundamental belief of the indivisibility of God. Below is a brief description of how Muslims perceive Christianity. From the Qur’an The Qur’an objects to the idea of God being one but in three persons – Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. It does not acknowledge the Trinity, and it extends to Christianity’s doctrine of the Incarnation and as such, the authenticity of the Bible. As described elsewhere in this blog about the nature of Jesus, the Islamic theological and scriptural understanding of the nature of Jesus are unique when compared to Christianity. The Muslim polemics about the oneness of God, the Sonship of Jesus and the authenticity of the Bibl...

Table of Contents Oneness of the Lordship of Allah ( Tawhid-ar-Rububiyyah ) Oneness of the Worship of Allah ( Tawhid-al-Uluhiyyah ) Divine Names and Attributes of Allah ( Tawhid-al-Asma was-Sifat ) God - Unique and Unchangeable Conclusion In the recent past, there have been confrontations and demonstrations when some individuals through ignorance tended to teach students about Islam and got themselves into trouble by making paintings of the Prophet. I call it ignorance because if they had learned the Qur’an or been informed about the Shahadah, they would not have done that. This writing will briefly introduce to the reader the importance of the Shahadah in the Islamic religion.   In Islam, the concept of Tawhid invokes three aspects of monotheism, which the Shahadah   (the profession of faith) embodies. The Shahadah is made up of two declarations: “There is no god but God” and “Muhammad is the Messenger of God” ( La ilaha illallah, Muhammad-ur-Rasul-Allah ). The former s...

Table of Contents Cautionary Surahs and Ayat Adversarial Surahs and Ayat Tolerant Surahs and Ayat Neutral Surahs and Ayat The ‘Covenant of ‘Umar’ The reason for the inclusion of Christians, Jews and Sabians as People of the Book, not only depends on having a sacred book but is also based on monotheism. Another fact was that the Qur’an calls on Prophet Muhammad to: “Set you (O Muhammad...) your face towards the religion (of pure Islamic Monotheism) …. Allah’s Fitrah (i.e. Allah’s Islamic Monotheism) with which He has created mankind” (Al-Rum 30:30). Strictly speaking, monotheism is another criterion and followed by the fact that the three religions considered Abraham as their father; “it is the religion of your father Ibrahim (Abraham), Islamic Monotheism” (Al-Hajj 22:78).   Another criterion can be found in terms like Al-Muttaqun ( Al-Baqarah 2:2). The term Al-Muttaqun means to profess faith in one God as a revelation given and written down in the form of scripture. This defi...