US Designation: Sharia Council Blames CAN

The Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN), Kaduna State Chapter, has condemned the United States government’s recent decision to classify Nigeria as a “Country of Great Concern” over alleged persecution of Christians, describing the move as biased and misleading

In a statement released in Kaduna, the Council’s Secretary, Engineer Hassan Abdul Rahman, criticised the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump for what he called a “one-sided narrative” that fails to reflect Nigeria’s complex security realities.

“The Council is not happy with this development on allegations regarding Christian genocide in Nigeria,” Abdul Rahman said. “The Trump administration should have sought a balanced perspective on the situation before jumping to conclusions.”

He stressed that Nigeria’s insecurity is driven by a “complex web of ethnic, political, and economic challenges,” not a targeted campaign against Christians.

“By statistics, it’s clear that Muslims are mostly the victims in various instances,” he said. “Attributing these tensions solely to religious motivations oversimplifies the realities on the ground and undermines efforts toward national unity and peace.”

Abdul Rahman accused Western powers of selective empathy, alleging that global outrage tends to rise only when Christians are affected, while violence against Muslims receives far less attention.

“Wherever Muslims are killed, it doesn’t concern the West or the U.S.,” he said. “They always highlight issues affecting Christians while remaining silent on violence against Muslims. This bias breeds distrust and alienation among Muslim communities everywhere.”

The SCSN also faulted the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for allegedly spreading misinformation that it said fuels religious division in the country.

“To CAN, who initiated these lies, they should know that when Nigeria sinks, may Allah forbid, it’s all of us that will bear the brunt,” Abdul Rahman warned. “Christians, Muslims, not even pagans will be spared.”

He urged Nigerians to reject what he described as foreign attempts.