By Bashir Adefaka
Defending Islam in today’s world can be an extraordinarily difficult and lonely responsibility, particularly when the struggle is not only against external misconceptions and hostility but also against internal divisions, betrayal and the actions of individuals who, knowingly or unknowingly, create additional burdens for the Muslim community.
My Nigerian experience has taught me that the challenges confronting Islam and Muslims are often more complex than they appear on the surface. In many instances, those who claim to defend the faith are forced to contend simultaneously with external critics and internal actors whose actions sometimes weaken the very cause they claim to support.
This is the painful reality of defending a religion that is frequently misunderstood, misrepresented or deliberately portrayed negatively in certain circles.
For those who speak publicly in defence of Islam, the experience can be emotionally exhausting. Every statement is scrutinised. Every position is interpreted through the lens of existing prejudice. A person who raises concerns about injustice against Muslims may quickly be accused of extremism, while someone who calls for peaceful coexistence may be criticised by some Muslims for not being sufficiently vocal or confrontational.
The dilemma is therefore enormous.
On one hand, there are external forces that appear determined to portray Islam and Muslims in the worst possible light. On the other hand, there are internal disagreements, personal ambitions, political rivalries and unhealthy competition among Muslims that sometimes make the task of defending the faith even more difficult.
Nigeria provides a compelling case study of this complex reality.
As a country with a large Muslim population and a long history of religious and cultural coexistence, Nigeria ought to be a model of how people of different faiths can live together peacefully. Yet, the country has also witnessed religious tensions, political disagreements and the politicisation of sensitive religious issues.
In such an environment, defending Islam requires not only courage but also wisdom, patience and a deep understanding of the consequences of one’s words and actions.
One of the most painful experiences is discovering that some of the strongest opposition to efforts aimed at protecting the dignity of Muslims does not always come from outside the faith. Sometimes, it comes from within.
There are occasions when Muslims who should be working together become divided by personal interests, political affiliations, ethnic sentiments or differences in interpretation. Instead of focusing on the broader interests of the Ummah, attention is diverted to individual personalities and sectional disputes.
This internal fragmentation creates opportunities for external forces to exploit existing weaknesses.
It is therefore important for Muslims to distinguish between legitimate disagreement and destructive division. Differences of opinion have always existed within human societies, including among religious communities. But when disagreements become a tool for hatred, character assassination or the deliberate destruction of one another, the consequences can be devastating.
My Nigerian experience has also demonstrated that defending Islam does not mean defending every Muslim, regardless of his or her conduct. Islam itself demands justice, truth and accountability. A Muslim who commits wrongdoing should not be protected merely because of his religious identity.
The challenge, however, is to ensure that the wrongdoing of an individual is not used as a justification for condemning an entire faith or community.
This distinction is critical.
When a Muslim commits a crime, the individual should be held accountable. But it is unfair to use the actions of one person as evidence against more than two billion Muslims around the world. By the same token, when a Christian or a member of another religious community commits a crime, it would be equally unjust to blame the entire religious group.
Unfortunately, public discourse in Nigeria and elsewhere sometimes fails to make this distinction.
The result is that religion becomes a weapon in political and social battles, with people selectively highlighting incidents that support their preferred narratives while ignoring facts that contradict them.
