Terrorism: Why many pastors are silent – Apostle Johnson Suleman

Apostle Johnson Suleman has fired back at those questioning the silence of Christian clerics on the rising wave of terrorist attacks across the country, insisting that pastors are being unfairly dragged into a crisis that has no connection to their faith.

Speaking during a church service, Suleman dismissed suggestions that pastors were not vocal enough on national insecurity. According to him, it is illogical to expect Christian leaders to be the first to react when terrorists launch attacks.

“Have u ever heard someone say praise the lord before he pulls the trigger? And they shoot? People you should call are those in that religion. It is their religious leaders you should call, not pastors,” he said.

He argued that pastors who comment on national security do so purely out of concern for humanity, not because Christianity is tied to terrorism. “Does terrorism have a Christian nomencleture? You see all the attacks going on now, as soon as it happened, they called pastors. Why are pastors not talking? You must be sick. I am a pastor,” he stated.

Suleman added that if terrorists were ever linked to Christianity, he would personally take responsibility. “The day you hear someone shout thank you Jesus before he pulls the trigger, call me,” he said.

While rejecting the notion that clerics should bear blame for attacks committed by people of other faiths, he insisted that pastors still have a moral duty to speak for the sake of national unity. “Should pastors speak? Yes, for the sake of humanity,” Suleman stressed.

Recalling his own interventions during previous crises, he said he had visited affected communities and rendered help whenever possible. “When they killed in Benue, I went there, I spoke to governor and asked him, what can we do? We sent relief materials. When they killed in Yola, I didn’t go that place, I went to the IDP camp, they told me not to go, but I did,” he narrated.

Apostle Johnson Suleman maintained that the responsibility of addressing terrorism should not be shifted to pastors, insisting that the country must begin to question the leaders of the religions associated with the attackers rather than diverting attention.