My advice for Boko Haram- Afghan President

Afghan President  Hamid Karzai has advised Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria to sheath their swords.

He gave the advice when Nigeria’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Dauda Danladi presented his letters of credence recently in Kabul.

While stating that no religion preaches violence, Karzai called on the Boko Haram members to lay down their arms if they are true Muslims.

“Boko Haram should stop burning schools, Mosques, Churches in the name of Islam.  You should not destroy your country if you are true Muslims. You should protect lives because in Islam if you kill one, it is as if you have killed the whole of humanity and if you save life, it is as if you have saved the whole of humanity,” he said.

He said Afghans have seen the futility of violence and put behind them the ugly past and have now embraced peace through dialogue.

He recalled the activities of the Taliban’s in Afghanistan saying it was externally motivated and the people were used by the Taliban’s to commit suicide bombing without knowing that they will be committing suicide.

He said in most cases, suicide bombers were given jackets containing bombs as gifts and on wearing them,  somebody who will follow them will detonate it on reaching their targets.