In both Christianity and Islam, harming innocent children is considered a grave sin and a violation of divine law. Insurgent groups that kidnap children are acting directly against the core teachings of both faiths, even if they claim religious justification.
Here’s what each religion says:
Christianity
Core principle: Children have inherent dignity and are under special protection of God.
Key teachings:
Jesus’ explicit protection of children
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father” – Matthew 18:10
“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me… If anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” – Matthew 18:5-6. This is one of the strongest condemnations in the New Testament.
The sanctity of innocent life
The 6th Commandment “You shall not murder” [Exodus 20:13] extends to children. Early Church Fathers condemned infanticide, child sacrifice, and kidnapping as pagan practices incompatible with Christian faith.
Duty to protect the vulnerable
James 1:27 defines pure religion as “to visit orphans and widows in their affliction”. The Church historically sees protecting children from harm as a moral duty for both individuals and the state.
Christian position on kidnapping: It violates the 5th, 7th, and 8th Commandments – against murder, theft, and falsehood. No theological justification exists for targeting children. Kidnapping for ransom, recruitment, or ideological reasons is considered a mortal sin.
. Islam
Core principle: Children are a trust from Allah and have the right to life, safety, and protection. Killing innocents is forbidden.
Key teachings:
Prohibition of killing innocents
“Do not kill the soul which Allah has made sacred, except by right” – Quran 6:151, 17:33
Classical scholars extend this to mean it is absolutely forbidden to kill women, children, the elderly, monks, and non-combatants in war.
Prophet Muhammad’s rules of war
He explicitly commanded: “Do not kill women or children” [Sahih Muslim 1744]. Kidnapping children was never part of legitimate jihad in Sunni and Shia jurisprudence.
Protection of children’s rights
Children are considered sinless until puberty.
Forcing children into combat, slavery, or harm is classified as zulm – oppression, which is haram.
The Quran condemns those who bury daughters alive [Quran 81:8-9] and praises protection of orphans [Quran 93:9].
Kidnapping and ransom
Classified as hirabah – highway robbery/terrorism. Quran 5:33 prescribes severe punishment for those who “spread corruption in the land” through violence and kidnapping.
Islamic position on kidnapping: All major schools of Sunni and Shia jurisprudence agree that kidnapping civilians, especially children, is haram. Groups that do this have no basis in classical Islamic law. Scholars from Al-Azhar, the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars, and others have issued fatwas condemning Boko Haram and similar groups.
Common ground
Both religions agree on:
Innocence matters: Children cannot be held responsible for the actions of adults or states.
Intentional harm is sinful: It breaks the moral law and incurs divine punishment.
State and community responsibility: Both Christianity and Islam teach that society must protect children. Silence or complicity is also sinful.
Redemption through repentance: While the act is condemned, both faiths teach that repentance and restitution are possible for the perpetrator – but this doesn’t remove legal punishment.
What this means for the Nigeria insurgency context
Groups like Boko Haram/ISWAP that kidnap schoolchildren are:
Violating Islamic law according to virtually all orthodox Islamic scholars worldwide. That’s why Nigerian Islamic leaders, including the Sultan of Sokoto and Jama’atu Nasril Islam, have consistently condemned them.
– Benjamin Ibrahim writes from Lokoja, Kogi state.
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