The Islamic movement in Nigeria has dismissed as false and divisive recent claims by former U.S. President Donald J. Trump alleging that Christians are facing genocide in Nigeria, describing such remarks as dangerous propaganda meant to sow discord and justify foreign interference.
In a statement issued by Professor Abdullahi Danladi of the movement’s Resource Forum, the movement stressed that Nigeria’s challenges are moral and political — not religious.
According to the statement, “The poor Christian and the poor Muslim have no conflict; their common enemy is the unjust system that enslaves them both.” It blamed the nation’s crises on corruption, greed, and manipulation of the masses by a morally bankrupt elite, accusing politicians of exploiting religion to divide citizens while remaining united in their corruption.
The movement strongly rejected Trump’s claims that “radical Islamists” are conducting a “mass slaughter” of Christians, describing such allegations as a continuation of Western misinformation. The Movement maintained that both Muslims and Christians have suffered equally from insecurity, terrorism, and government repression, saying that the tragedies are a consequence of political failure, not religious hostility.
Professor Danladi further criticised what he called the “hypocrisy of Western politicians,” noting that those who supported wars and bombings in Muslim countries now pretend to be champions of human rights in Africa.
He alleged that the renewed Western interest in Nigeria’s religious situation was part of a geopolitical agenda to divide Nigerians and gain influence over the country’s resources and policies.
The statement also commended the Nigerian government’s response through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which rejected Trump’s assertions and reaffirmed Nigeria’s long history of peaceful coexistence among people of different faiths. The movement urged authorities to match this commitment with action by ensuring justice, fairness, and equity across the country.
Emphasizing its decades-long record of interfaith outreach, the Movement highlighted its history of visiting churches during Christian celebrations and hosting Christian leaders at its events as a sign of mutual respect. It said any attack on innocent lives — Muslim or Christian — is an attack on humanity and a violation of divine law.
The Islamic movement called on Nigerians to reject foreign propaganda and unite against corruption, injustice, and bad governance. “Our unity as Nigerians is stronger than the falsehoods that seek to divide us,” the statement read.
“The real war is not between Christians and Muslims, but between truth and falsehood, justice and corruption.”
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