Like You, Like Me: The Striking Case of Mubarak Bala

by Terungwa James Nguhar

Heroes are celebrated around the world, because we as humans, by default, understand the concept and practicality of justice and fairness. We derive satisfaction from perceiving order.

Our real life heroes are not as superficial and larger-than-life as the heroes in theatre and drama. These are concerned individuals who can not stand mediocrity and unfairness, hence their tendency to speak out vehemently. Just like every other human, our heroes have moments of weakness, pain and fallibility that we all can relate with. And without our communal assistance and support for them, they stand to be threatened by our ever-aggressive and power-drunk oppressors.

In a similar fashion, in April of 2020, the president of Humanist Association of Nigeria (HAN), Mubarak Bala, was arrested on charges of blasphemy. Being accused and arrested for a crime is one thing; being tried by a court of law is another. For a year and 9 months, Mubarak Bala did not have the privilege to be tried by a court of law, nor did he have noteworthy contacts with even his immediate family. This is not the first time that Mubarak Bala would be abused on account of his disagreement with and criticism of (primarily Islam, but generally) organized religion. In 2014, he was forcefully committed to a mental health facility when he first openly voiced out his disassociation from Islam and disbelief in the god-factor. I would presume that the hostility he received was a desperate measure to deny him listenership by questioning his sanity in the first place; but it could also have been in a bid to try and contain an obvious threat to Islam and the “Islamic radicalization agenda” which he was castigating. Largely, on social media, from that time up to even today, Mubarak Bala has gotten even death threats from Islamic fanatics and loyalists. But is Mubarak Bala alone in his personal convictions and trials?

For the many other Nigerian secularists and I (and there has been a fairly growing number over the years), there is an avid appreciation of Bala’s frustrations. I particularly could talk about my bumpy ride with religion, and the trauma and anxiety that my experiences have left me with, especially due to my being a multifaceted social minority. I have witnessed it all first, second and third hand from exclusion, to demonizing, to extortion and even horrid exorcist exercises. Even as a secularist today, my critique of my experiences in religion would always be dismissed by the average religious Nigerian, and I understand that I am in a toxic relationship whereby I would constantly get singled out and demonized once my worldviews and opinions are known. But this is not just my shared experience with Mubarak Bala. In the age of social media, Nigerian atheists are empowered and speaking out, each story unique to the teller, but there is largely a shared understanding; the sentiment that organized religion is bad influence to the spirit of society. While the religious would disagree vehemently at face value, in reality, in a lot of ways, there is a point of agreement between the theist and atheist in Nigeria.

Except of course the spotlight of scrutiny shines on the religion that such a religious person were to be affiliated to, every Nigerian would agree that religion has done our social, economic and political lives a huge disservice, and even tarnished our reputation. No Nigerian is new to this, and the Nigerian secularist is caught in-between this mess, in that, by default, every religious person questions the authenticity of all other religions in the world except one. The Atheist’s crime is that he does not hold favor for ANY!

Inter-religious and intra-religious conflicts & disagreements in Nigeria range from the subtle ones like hate preaching and street fights to the more fatal, most prominently today, the Boko Haram. Most terrifying for me of these conflicts is that for each, there are offenders who burn with passion in the belief that whatever insensitivity, senselessness and outrageous level of violence dispensed for their religion ought

to be considered morally and legally valid, as long as it is claimed to be “ordered by god”. These are people who are completely ignorant of the highly questionable origins of their religious books and messages, and who would most probably go into attack mode if such were elaborated for them.

Of all these, there will be the “progressives” among the religious who still hold enough conscience to understand the truth that the hate and violence of their ilk is barbaric. The “progressive” Christian, for example, identifies as feminist. The “progressive” Muslim admits that there are bad Muslims, but would not admit that these “bad Muslims” are religiously motivated. It is disappointing that these ones never have the confidence to tell their radical counterparts this revelation that they (the radicals) are not Muslim enough; probably out of the fear of ostracism, but I also believe, due to an attachment to the privileges of belonging. The privilege to be automatically perceived as morally upright just for professing an allegiance to a deity is very real and enjoyed by the religious majority; it is also very abused by them. It would be tempting for anyone to prefer to hold onto that privilege of being an offender, instead of choosing honesty and automatically becoming the offended/profiled for hate. Mubarak Bala chose not to patronize the majority offenders, and the consequences of his decision is his current suffering and tribulations by them. But then, why should any person, at birth, be damned to this level of misfortune?

Right at birth, the deities to believe in are determined by our parents for us without our consent. Why should we have to endure persecution in religion, and even for leaving religion? Why should our stories be considered offensive if they are true? Why should Mubarak be tagged a blasphemer and put at the mercy of the bloodthirsty because he prefers not to repeat their version of “truth”, nor repeat their vicious cycles of terror and propaganda? We do not have a problem with a person or people’s personal beliefs, but with the tendency of such insensible, unverifiable beliefs to become the basis upon which societal laws are made and other members of society have to suffer tribulations. And this is why we question the logic of converting kids to religions, especially since these converts will be accused of blasphemy if they hold disagreement with the tenets of these societally-endorsed cults.

Religion in Nigeria has gained a certain influence in the social order that gives it certain trust, powers, privileges, and rights which, over the years, her administrators have always abused and gone scot-free of. Every time I think of Mubarak Bala, I do not just see a man, or a hero or an atheist. I see a man who is all of these, and with the potential to be more. I see a human with feelings, like me. I see a man whose wife and baby do not deserve the distance they have to endure daily due to his incarceration. I see a respectable man, because I understand it is not easy to have been a part of a treacherous agenda and abandoned those few but tangible privileges of belonging to fight for truth and justice. We do not have to benefit if the foundations of our benefits are based on treachery. Most importantly, I see Mubarak as someone like me, a secularist, being tortured, humiliated and abused; and make no mistake, this is definitely supposed to serve as an example and a deterrent for me, for us.

Currently, Mubarak Bala has been tried in court on February 1st, 2022. According to Humanists International, “Today’s court appearance represents the first time Bala has appeared in court in the 644 days in which he has been detained. During the session, Bala denied all charges. A ruling on Bala’s petition for bail is expected in the coming months as the case proceeds to trial.” {https://humanists.international/2022/02/nigeria-mubarak-bala-appears-in-court-for-first-time-in-644-days/}

I have an immense appreciation for our hope and steadfastness so far, and the efforts to sensitize about his plight and fight for his release. I also urge Nigerians and the whole wide world to take a stand against

injustice and speak out for truth and freedom of speech. If it happens to one person, it can happen to any other person for any reason. Our oppressors should not be assured of our fear and tendency to let things slide. There is no effort that is too insignificant, and each of us is a hero waiting to exhibit our potential. Together, we shall keep making changes to a society that the next generation shall inherit.