Islam and Terrorism by Mark Gabriel
Growing up in Lagos as a Christian with Muslim neighbours all around me was fun. I knew our religion was somewhat different from theirs but believed what separated us was just that they had different heroes from us; with us, it was Jesus Christ and them Muhammad. We attended our services unmolested or unchallenged as they did their many prayers and just like we do on Sundays, they have Fridays’ dressed-up grand assemblies. Despite the veil differentness which we saw as only ‘of mode of prayers and different heroes,’ it was a perfectly pleasant and non judgemental relationship. And, just as they always looked forward to and participated fully in our celebrations of Christ’s annual birthdays and all other Christian rites, so we also fully celebrated and habitually looked expectantly and with glee at their hero’s anniversaries and Islamic ceremonies. And up till when I became adult, the dramas of sin and redemption, absolution, preaching, conversion were all engagements done in priva