BY: DOMINIC E.B. ANYALAGBUNA
1.0.
Preamble:
Indeed, the world today is
greatly coloured by different religions spanning from Christianity, Islamic,
African Traditional Religion, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Confucianism, et cetera. However, it is important to
note that each of these religions has adherents. Besides, these religions deal with beliefs
and practices. They have their doctrines, and codes of conduct that are inevitably
imperative on the adherents, of course for their own good. Nevertheless, irrespective
of the fact that there are many adherents of these multiple and diverse religions,
it is quite irreconcilable seeing that our society is still notorious of, and
traumatized by some ills like: kidnapping, robbery and uncharitable escalation
of prices of goods in the market. Therefore,
the questions become, does it mean that these religions promote the practice of
kidnapping or robbery? Or are they the cause of the adherents of these
religions? And if the answer is in affirmative, why? Consequently, an
investigation into these will constitute the task of this essay.
2.0.
Meaning of Some Terms:
Religion, according to his
Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze, refers, in a sense, to the ‘consciousness in
man as depending on transcendental being for his survival and as such his
inclination or propensity to worship.’ Moreover, M. Turner in his article on
“Kidnapping and Politics,” in the International
Journal of the Sociology of Law, gives a broad definition of Kidnapping as “all situations where
persons are forcibly seized and transported to a destination where they are
held against their will in unlawful confinement.” More still, undue price inflation is the illegal
increase in the price of a standardized good/service or a basket of
goods/services just for one’s selfish interest.
Lastly, the term robbery
refers to the act of illegal taking of something that belongs to somebody else,
either by the use of force, threats, violence
or even deception.
3.0.
“Kidnapping,” “Robbery” and “Undue Inflation of prices”:
Religious Views
According to the Islamic
scholar, Sheikh M. Nokkari, “there is no excuse for kidnapping in Islam.” “The Quran,” he says, “teaches
against kidnapping … people.” More so, Mustafa A. Sway submits that in the
Koran and in the traditions of Muhammad, “kidnapping … and harming … is [sic, are] absolutely prohibited.” So,
“those who do kidnap… defy the Islamic code of ethics.” In addition, Koran
evidently reacts violently against anyone caught stealing. It orders that: “[As
for] the thief, the male and the female, amputate their hands in recompense for
what they earned as a deterrent [punishment] from Allah. And Allah is exalted
in Might and Wise.” [Quran 5:38]. In
Islam, a thief is cursed because he is a corrupt
element in society, and if he is left unpunished, his corruption will spread
and infect others.
Furthermore, the issues of
kidnapping, robbery and undue inflation of prices in Christianity, are given zero tolerance. As a matter of fact, in the
Old Testament of the Holy Scriptures, “whoever steals a man, whether he sells
him or is found in possession of him, shall be put to death,” (Ex. 21:16). In another instance, it commands that, “thou
shall not steal,” (Rom.13:9).
Going further, from African Traditional Religious
perspective, stealing is not only
immoral or a societal crime; it is also a religious offence punishable by the Supreme
Being. So, among the adherents of Traditional
African Religion, it is shameful and a crime to steal. Due to this, they commit
the robber to the gods for punishment. The gods may subject him to a prolonged
illness, paralysis, partial blindness et
cetera. Considering dishonesty and robbery in African Traditional Religion,
a one-time robber or known liar will never be appointed as a leader or ruler. In
other words, the gods do not support lying or mendacity. Adherents of African
Traditional Religion know that liars will suffer at and after their death; so
as much as possible, they keep away from what will lead to such suffering. However,
Traditional African religion views all these prohibited crimes or acts as
taboos and any person committing any of them is regarded as a criminal and is
punishable.
Nonetheless, Buddhism passionately detests robbery
and killing so much so that among their five basic precepts or the pañcasila for the lay Buddhists, are stipulated: not
to steal, not to kill. Now, taking cognizance of the above religious
reactions against these maladies, the question remains: Why the incessant
incidents of kidnapping, stealing and uncharitable escalation of prices of
goods?
4.0.
Kidnapping,
Robbery and Business Dishonesty: What is the Cause?
Generally, our country
Nigeria is enormously bedevilled by heart-aching occurrences of kidnapping,
robbery and uncharitable inflation of the prices of goods and commodities. Every
day, tens of Nigerians are kidnapped. Some are killed before they are rescued,
while others are rescued by their relatives after paying ransoms. The issue of
theft is also a case in point. This comprises of armed robbery, pocket picking, examination malpractice, appropriation
of lost moneys along the way, getting jobs with fake certificates, squandering
of common funds, the list can continue. Should we talk about the undue
escalation of the prices of goods in the market arena? Most at times, the
prices of goods are greedily escalated or are not usually sold at the
standardised market price. Recently, in a nearby market at Awka, Anambra State,
a business agent sold goods worth N15, 000 to someone (a neophyte) at
the high rate of N27, 000 even insisting that the goods in question are nothing
but the original. God help us! So, one can imagine at this time, what will be
going on in the market where the cliché is “dollar
riri ari” (dollar ‘$’ is high). Nevertheless, reflecting over these raises
a very fundamental question: Why are all these crimes flourishing beyond
measure in different parts of the world especially in Nigeria today
irrespective of the extant voluminous number of religions?
The answer to this ultimate question
above is very obvious! Nobody factually believes in nothing. If not in God,
even an atheist believes in something. Moreover, man, as a common Latin dictum has
it, is a homo religiosus - a
religious being. And by implication, virtually everybody belongs, believes, and
professes either one religion or the other. So, the salient point is: there is
a belief! Nevertheless, from our foregoing investigation, it is factually
evident that no true religion, in her doctrine, fundamentally propagates and teaches the evil practices of
kidnapping, robbery and undue inflation of the prices of goods. Every religion
tends to promote the good of her adherents. And in pursuance of this, each
religion has laid down conditions which are obligatory for her members.
Now, having established the
fact that religion seeks for the good of its adherents, the questions thus
become: How come about the incessant incidents of kidnapping, robbery and undue
inflation of prices of goods in the world especially in Nigeria? Who is the
cause: religion or her adherents? Obviously not religion since every true
religion is dialectical opposed to such evils. Or does it mean that there are
no religious adherents anymore? Of course there are! So, if there are religious
adherents, does it mean that they are the cause of these ills? And if they are the cause, why?
More still, the questions
can still come in these forms: Does it mean that these people do not profess
any religion? Obviously, they believe in something? If they believe in
something, why are they not living out what they believe in? Does it mean that
there is a dichotomy between what they profess and the way they live their
lives? If yes, then, there is no unity
of life! If no, then, why are some of them engaging in kidnapping, robbery,
and undue inflation of the prices of goods which are contrary to their religion?
The answer is simple: there is no unity
of life. No authentic religiosity!!!
5.0.
Possible Way Out and Conclusion:
When we look at the issues
of kidnapping, robbery and uncharitable escalation of prices of goods, they outwardly
appear to have been factored by either financial difficulty, religious, political,
envy or selfish motives. They are obviously part of the causes, but not the
remote cause. The remote cause is apparently disunity of life founded on lack
of faith. Yes, lack of faith because the perpetrators of those evils do not
believe that they can survive even without engaging in such acts. They dichotomize
their personal/private lives, activities,
engagements and businesses from the sacred
injunctions of their religion. Thus, they do not live out what they believe
in, what they profess. As a result, they
can kidnap, steal or lie, and after all ‘uka
di n’obi’ (religion is a thing of the heart). Putting an end to this, one
of the panaceas to these problems is for us to allow our personal lives, our affairs,
or businesses to COMPLETELY SYNCHRONIZE
with the demands of our religions, rooted in solid faith. Only and only then,
can other reasons for these evils vanish. When this is done, kidnapping, robbery,
undue inflation of the prices of goods and commodities will, to a great extent,
be a story for the gods!
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