Nigerians Clash Online Over Lekki Central Mosque’s ‘Provocative’ Jesus Banner
A significant uproar has been sparked on social media following the display of a banner at the Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos State, which boldly claims, “Jesus Christ is not God. He is a Prophet and Messenger of God!”
This proclamation, which went viral on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, has ignited a fierce debate on religious respect and freedom of expression in Nigeria.
Christians are convinced Muslims wouldn’t take an ounce of what they are dishing. Image: X/ActreewumiSource: Twitter
The banner’s message has drawn a myriad of responses from netizens, with many perceiving it as an act of blasphemy against Christian beliefs.
The controversy escalated when Nigerian actress Wumi Tuase voiced her discomfort on her X account, stating, “I don’t like to get into religious conversations but I found it very weird that Lekki Central Mosque has this in front of their gate.”
Critics of the banner argue that it lacks sensitivity to the pluralistic nature of Nigerian society.
User @Fisayo Ojabodu on X condemned the message as disrespectful, commenting, “You don’t see the banner is disrespectful to other people’s religion. And is propagating foolish agenda.” Similarly, @Adesuwa accused the banner of being outright blasphemous.
The debate took a more personal turn with @FS Yusuf’s remarks, highlighting past incidents where religious intolerance led to violence against Christian places of worship.
“In the last two decades, my family church has been set on fire by Muslim extremists for ridiculous reasons such as religious extremism and Buhari losing his 2011 election,” he tweeted, underscoring the tension that such displays can exacerbate.
However, not all reactions were negative. Some users like Silva Bella argued in support of the banner’s message, stating, “It’s not about Christianity is a religion of peace or not … Jesus is not God. I have read the Bible a lot of time and it obvious but I can’t still get why people call Jesus God.”
This perspective was echoed by Olawale on Meta, who simply affirmed, “The message on the banner is true.”
On the other side, Christian advocates like GeradTheGreat defended their faith, asserting, “Jesus is God, Jesus is your King and Jesus will pass judgment on all.”
Joycccc emphasized the peaceful nature of Christian responses, “We are so peaceful, and we will remain peaceful, we don’t fight for our God, He fights for himself.”
The discourse also brought historical examples into the conversation, with @ChristTheLighhouse recalling the persecution of Christians, including the tragic case of Deborah, who was killed for alleged blasphemy, a stark reminder of the consequences of religious insensitivity.
Source: TheTalk.NG
