'Expensive' Tweet Lands El-Rufai In Trouble
SAN FRANCISCO, January 28, (THEWILL) – Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has drawn the ire of the Christian community over his 'expensive' tweet on Sunday.
El-Rufai, who was trying to defend former Minister of Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, and lampoon the Goodluck Jonathan Administration, had apparently taken his sarcasm too far.
While trying to crack a joke about Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene in a sarcasm aimed at Information Minister, Labaran Maku; Jonathan' Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe and Presidential Spokesman, Dr. Ruben Abati,the former minister succeeded in drawing condemnation from the Christian community.
El-Rufai, had allegedly posted on his Tweeter page that " If Jesus criticises Jonathan's Govt, Maku/Abati/Okupe will say he slept with Mary Madgalene.”
But swift reactions from the Christian community followed the tweet. " Sir with all due respect. I get u point in dis joke. But why Jesus? It's not funny.," said a reaction.
One Dr. Thomas Agande in his reaction titled, El Rufai Defiles Jesus Christ on Twitter, said "He went overboard when, on his Twitter page, today January 27, 2013, said our Lord Jesus Christ had sex with Mary Magdalene.
"We see this as a very insensitive, irresponsible, and a offensive thing to say about Christ, and an attack on the sensibilities of Christians globally.
"El-Rufai betrayed his lack of respect for our Lord Jesus Christ and obvious hatred for Christians. How else can one explain his effrontery and buffoonery when he seemingly jokingly twitted that Christ had sex with Mary Magdalene.
"El-Rufai, who aspires to rule a multi religious nation, should have been circumspect in his use of words when referring to the sacred.
"It is on record that less offensive things have been said about the Prophet Mohammed which led to loss of Christian lives.
"It is insensitive and an attack on Christians collective sensibilities .
“The former minister has just told Nigerians that he lacks the decency to rule a multi religious nation, if he should display such disrespect for the sacred and thinks it is funny. His tweet shows he is not a decent man.
He has disregarded the collective sensibilities of Christians all over the world by this very offensive reference to our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Another critic said “ This is so irresponsible and insensitive . If Christians should make such reference to Prophet Mohammed, we would be counting dead bodies in the north.
"We Christians are peace loving and will definitely ignore him but he must be told he is an IDIOT for saying such.”