Muhammad Ashafa was born in Mani Katsina State, Northern Nigeria, into a very devout conservative Muslim family, the eldest son of an Islamic scholar and Tijaniyya leader, from a long line of Imams, dating back 13 generations, which had resisted colonization.

Muhammad Ashafa says that he did not follow in his father’s Sufi tradition which was ‘spiritual’ and ‘anti-materialistic’ and treated ‘politics as essentially a dirty thing’. Instead, like many others of his generation, the young Muhammad was influenced by Salafi preachers from Saudi Arabia, the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the Islamic Revolution in Iran, which led him to join an extremist reformist movement, committed to the total Islamization of northern Nigeria and the complete exclusion of non-Muslims. Muhammad Ashafa became the Secretary General of the Muslim Youth Councils (MYCs) ‘which incited great violence in the North and resulted in the Christians creating their own counter organization, the Youth Christian Association of Nigeria (YCAN)’.[i]

The Secretary General of the Kaduna State chapter of the Youth Christian Association of Nigeria (YCAN) was James Wuye. James was a militant Assemblies of God Pastor, the son of a soldier who served in the Biafran war, who had always been interested in war games, and had got involved in increasingly combative Christian-Muslim encounters. James says his ‘hatred for the Muslims had no limits’. James hated seeing Christians being intimidated by Muslims, so ‘when Muslims were blamed for inciting a violent conflict in Kaduna, he immediately volunteered to lead a reprisal attack’.[ii]In the battles that ensued between the rival MYC and YCAN fighters, which Muhammad and James led, Muhammad’s mentor and two of his cousins were killed and James lost his right arm.[iii]

And Muhammad and James vowed to get revenge, by killing the other, when they could.

About that time, Muhammad participating in Friday prayers, when an Imam preached a sermon on the Qur’anic call not to seek revenge, but instead to extend forgiveness to our enemies. Muhammad felt God was speaking directly to him about forgiving James. [iv]

Not long after a mutual friend, Idriaz Musa, took the opportunity in a chance meeting to get them to together. Idriaz, who was working with Muslim and Christian youth groups against drug addiction, knew both Muhammad and James, and invited both of them to a meeting about substance abuse. James says ‘during the tea or coffee break, he drew us together. He put our hands over each other’s hands and said to us, “I know you have the capacity to (make) peace. I want you to talk.” And then he just left us there. We were holding hands and looking at each other in a puzzled way. (Muhammad) asked if we could meet. I gave him my office address. He came there, and that begun the journey.’[v]

To begin with James Wuye was most suspicious of Muhammad Ashafa. James thought Muhammad was setting him up in order to organise an ambush so he could assassinate him as payback. After all, James says, Muhammad ‘looked like a fanatic’ and fanatics kill without compunction. However Muhammad kindly visited James’ mother when she was ill in hospital and quietly came to the funeral to pay his respects when his mother died. And, ever so gently, Muhammad gradually won James’ trust, confidence and friendship.[vi]

In 1995, out of their friendship, these two erstwhile enemies, created the Interfaith Mediation Center (IMC) in the State of Kaduna in northern Nigeria. To begin with both the Muslim and Christian communities were suspicious of the IMC. Muhammad says the stereotypes of Christians ‘run very deep in the heart of many Muslims. There are over one billion of us and many are affected by these stereotypes and (related) suspicions.’[vii] However, in the same way Muhammad had overcome James’ suspicions, ‘The Imam and The Pastor’, as they became known, working together in the light of their declared faith in ‘a common God, shared values, and moral principles’, gradually earned their trust too.[viii]

The Interfaith Mediation Center (IMC) leads seminars and workshops in schools and universities on subjects from democracy to interreligious dialogue’. Religion, ‘as a factor of rapprochement, is presented as part of their method’. The IMC works with religious and political leaders, men and women and youth, training them in conflict resolution.[ix]

‘Trained teams from the (IMC) are frequently employed in conflict areas in order to mediate. Women are trained as mediators and appointed for intervention in conflicts.’ The IMC has ‘developed a curriculum, which contributes to religious peace and is (used) in more than 30 schools in Northern Nigeria’. Furthermore, ‘they have established peace camps with the goal of deconstructing (negative) enemy images with radical youths.’[x]

In the last twenty years, the IMC, through their grassroots organization of over 10.000 members, has reached into the militias and trained them to become peace activists.[xi]

Muhammad Ashafa and James Wuye themselves operate outside the safety and security of the centre, to mediate between the parties in conflict all over Nigeria. Two of their many achievements are contributing to the reduction of conflicts in Kaduna in 2002 and in Yelwa in 2004. Due to the joint initiatives of Muhammad Ashafa and James Wuye, ‘a declaration of peace was signed, which was supported by various Christian and Muslim representatives. This declaration – the “Kaduna Peace Declaration of Religious Leaders” – is today still seen as a model of religious peace in the north of Nigeria’.[xii]

When, in September 2005, ‘due to the release of Mohammed caricatures in the Danish daily Jylland-Posten, a regional conflict was impending in the north of Nigeria, Muhammad Ashafa and James Wuye interceded in the conflict as early as a few hours after the publication, by persuading Christian leaders to publicly condemn the caricatures. Thus a potential escalation with many deaths was avoided’. The number of deaths that was avoided could have been considerable. In other Muslim countries riots erupted, many Christians were attacked and more than 200 people were killed.[xiii]

With so much conflict in the world, Muhammad Ashafa and James Wuye are in much demand. Recently they have been involved training Muslims and Christians in interfaith conflict resolution not only all over Nigeria but also Kenya, Sudan (north and south), Burundi, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Lebanon. And Muhammad and James ‘have since managed to spread their messages of conflict-resolution to all corners of the globe.’[xiv]

The work of Muhammad Ashafa has meant he has been named as one of the ‘World’s Most Influential Muslims’, and the work he has done with James Wuye ‘has earned them numerous accolades, including a ‘Heroes of Peace’ Award from Burundi; the ‘Peace Activist Award’ of the Tanenbaum Center of Interreligious Understanding; a joint ‘Honorary Doctorate’ in Philosophy bestowed upon them in Kolkata, India; ‘Search for Common Ground on Interfaith Cooperation Award’ USA; the ‘Bremen Peace Award’ from the Threshold Foundation on interreligious reconciliation, and the ‘Hessian Peace Prize’. [xv]

Recently Imam Mohamed Magid wrote an open letter to all Muslims around the world, encouraging us to consider Muhammad Ashafa and James Wuye as true role models:

In the Name of God The Most Gracious, Most Merciful

‘Dear Fellow Brothers and Sisters in Islam,

‘Horrific acts of violence demand from us Muslims and people of all faiths around the globe to stand up against all those who perpetrate such horrific acts. Violence of any kind against any people cannot be ignored. Transgressions against people’s rights are occurring today across all boundaries. Regardless of what perpetrators of such acts claim to hold over any other person, to live safely is a right, and we must all stand up to protect the right for all people. “Stand for justice even if it is against yourself” (Qur’an Surat-un-Nisa, Chapter 4, Verse 135).

‘It is those who truly know the religion of Islam who, despite our differences, engage in peaceful dialogue and wholeheartedly forsake acts of violence like this. As dedicate worshippers we recognize that an injustice in one part of the world is never validated by another injustice. Human life is sacred and it is never acceptable to take a person’s life to promote a political agenda. Violence is never the answer. We must create a community of harmony with and respect for others.

‘This is the example of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the teachings of our faith. In a time of our history, Muslims were persecuted to the point that they had to flee from their homes, and we must remember it was the gracious Christian King of Abyssinia who opened his arms, welcoming the Muslims to live safely in his land, under his protection. He helped us preserve the tradition of our Prophet and the peaceful and loving religion of Islam. Muslims must use the King’s example in all of our interactions with people of other faiths. Umar ibn al-Khattāb, the second leader of the Muslim community after Prophet Muhammad’s death (May God be pleased with him), out of respect for the Church decided not to pray in a Jerusalem Church so that Muslims would not incorrectly feel that they had any entitlement to take it over in the future. He taught us that it is the responsibility of Muslims to protect the religions and religious places of worship in lands in which Muslims are the majority or minority.

‘The beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever violates the rights of the People of the Book, I will complain against them on the Day of Judgment.” There is none amongst us who wants to be complained against by our Beloved Prophet and teacher. We share with you the words of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah:

“This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah,

as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity,

near and far, we are with them.

Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers

defend them,

because Christians are my citizens; and by God!

I hold out against anything that displeases them.

No compulsion is to be on them.

Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs

nor their monks from their monasteries.

No one is to destroy a house of their religion,

to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses.

Should anyone take any of these,

he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet.

Verily, they are my allies

and have my secure charter against all that they hate.

No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight.

The Muslims are to fight for them.

If a female Christian is married to a Muslim,

it is not to take place without her approval.

She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.

Their churches are to be respected.

They are neither to be prevented from repairing them

nor the sacredness of their covenants. 

No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant

till the Last Day (end of the world)”.

‘We have the example of those before us, like the King of Abyssinia, and we have the example of those among us, like Pastor James Wuye and his friend, Imam Muhammad Ashafa. During violent clashes against each other in their days as youth in Nigeria, each suffered the loss of loved ones as the hands of the other. After years of being set on revenge the two were brought together and abandoned their hopes for revenge, opting instead for the hope of harmony and peace. Together, as friends of different faiths, they have established the Interfaith Mediation Center of the Muslim-Christian Dialogue Forum in Nigeria. Their courage and determination to rise above evil is what we must all strive toward. That is the teaching of all of our faiths, and the path to peaceful living.’[xvi]

All of us who would engage in Strong-But-Gentle Struggle For Justice Against Injustice would do well to gather a group of friends, watch a DVD of the brilliant documentary The Imam And The Pastor, about Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye and their interfaith conflict resolution, and discuss what we can learn from their story for our struggle.

Dave Andrews p146-8 The Jihad Of Jesus http://bit.ly/1CedNDX

[i] Imam Muhammad Ashafa http://www.arapacisinitiative.org/en/events-ans-news/35-imam-mohammad-ashafa

[ii] Muhammad Ashafa https://www.ashoka.org/fellow/mohammed-ashafa

[iii] Muhammad Ashafa https://www.ashoka.org/fellow/mohammed-ashafa

[iv] Alan Channer (Prodcer/Director)The Imam and the Pastor Initiative of Change

[v] A Discussion with Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa

http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/interviews/a-discussion-with-pastor-james-wuye-and-imam-muhammad-ashafa

[vi] Alan Channer (Prodcer/Director)The Imam and the Pastor Initiative of Change

[vii] A Discussion with Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa

http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/interviews/a-discussion-with-pastor-james-wuye-and-imam-muhammad-ashafa

[viii] A Discussion with Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa

http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/interviews/a-discussion-with-pastor-james-wuye-and-imam-muhammad-ashafa

[ix] Imam Muhammad Ashafa And Pastor James Wuye, Laureates Of The Fondation Chirac Prize http://www.fondationchirac.eu/en/2009/11/imam-muhammad-ashafa-and-pastor-james-wuye-laureates-of-the-fondation-chirac-prize/

[x] Imam Muhammad Ashafa And Pastor James Wuye, Laureates Of The Fondation Chirac Prize http://www.fondationchirac.eu/en/2009/11/imam-muhammad-ashafa-and-pastor-james-wuye-laureates-of-the-fondation-chirac-prize/

[xi] Imam Muhammad Ashafa http://www.arapacisinitiative.org/en/events-ans-news/35-imam-mohammad-ashafa

[xii] Hessian Peace Prize 2013 awarded to Imam Dr Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor Dr James Wuye http://www.hsfk.de/Newsdetail.25.0.html?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1216&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=5&cHash=6ebfda773b&L=1

[xiii] Hessian Peace Prize 2013 awarded to Imam Dr Muhammad Ashafa and Pastor Dr James Wuye http://www.hsfk.de/Newsdetail.25.0.html?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=1216&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=5&cHash=6ebfda773b&L=1

[xiv] Muhammad Ashafa https://www.ashoka.org/fellow/mohammed-ashafa

[xv] Imam Muhammad Ashafa http://themuslim500.com/profile/imam-muhammad-ashafa

[xvi] Imam Mohamed Magid Muslims Must Stand Up Against the Horrific Attacks Against Christians in Nigeria http://www.huffingtonpost.com/imam-mohamed-magid/muslims-stand-up-against-nigeria-anti-christian-violence_b_1171584.html