“I Sponsor Muslims To Mecca, 65% Of My Staff Are Muslims” — Akpabio Denies Anti-Islam Comment Over ‘Seven Virgins’ Remark
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said he has nothing against Islam and Muslims, revealing that he has been sponsoring pilgrims to Mecca annually for 25 years.
Akpabio made the clarification on Thursday during plenary, after his comment on Tuesday during debate on a bill to decriminalise suicide attempt sparked criticism.
On Tuesday, while considering the bill sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (Cross River South), Akpabio had said some young people contemplate suicide because “they believe seven virgins await them in the afterlife” — a remark some commentators interpreted as denigrating Muslims.
Responding on Thursday, Akpabio said political detractors twisted his words to pitch him against the Muslim community.
“I just want to drop a word of caution. When we discuss here, we discuss for and against and in the cause of our discussions, whatever we say should not anger anybody outside this chamber,” he said.
According to Akpabio, a senator had said terrorists believe that if they kill, they will go to heaven and seven virgins will be waiting for them.
“But I want you to know that terrorists are not Muslims. Terrorists are not Christians. Terrorists are human beings who believe in taking their lives and the lives of others,” he said.
“The Muslim religion that I know forbids suicide; it forbids killing. It does not even allow somebody to take his own life and if you look at the Quran, the Quran not only prohibits suicide; it also says that if you commit suicide, you will not enter into paradise.”
He stressed that those who destabilise the country’s security are mostly non-Nigerians, adding that no responsible leader would encourage suicide.
“Anybody that thinks he is committing suicide by killing others because he wants to go to heaven and see virgins, there will be no virgin for you,” Akpabio said.
The Senate President said he was being misinterpreted because it is a politically charged period, warning against television panelists twisting Senate debates.
Defending his relationship with Muslims, Akpabio said:
“Even as a governor, I sponsored 5,800 Muslims to the holy land, and I know I sponsored more than 10,000 Christians to also go to Rome and also go to Jerusalem. Go and look at the people working for me.
“My ADC for 19 years is a Muslim. I don’t recognise him as a Muslim. I recognise him as a brother; he’s from Azare in Bauchi State. The same thing with my CSO. Come and see the number of people working for me, and you’ll see that more than 65 percent of them are Muslims.
“There’s no way I will talk down on Muslim religion.”
He noted that both Islam and Christianity forbid suicide, and that the Nigerian penal and criminal codes also criminalise the act.
