From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Islamic scholar and Secretary of the Sultan Bello Mosque, Kaduna, Sheikh Hamisu Ya’u, has said most of the issues of religious dichotomy between Muslims and Christians were being created largely by selfish politicians apparently for their own political gains.
For this reason, he said Nigerians must be wary of such politicians widening disunity between the two religious groups noting that Christians and Muslims must unite together and refuse to be divided on religious grounds by selfish politicians who after achieving their political aspirations abandon them to their fate.
Sheikh Ya’u stated this, yesterday, at a ‘friend’s day church service’ at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Gospel Church, Kaduna where no fewer than 50 Islamic and traditional leaders worshipped with their Christian counterparts.
He described as unfortunate how people take pleasure in causing chaos between other people for their selfish reasons.
“You’re not a good Muslim if you don’t see Christians as your brothers and you cannot claim to be a good Christians if you don’t see the Muslims as your brothers, so we must strive to be each others brothers keeper.”
He said contrary to some teachings by some pastors and Imams, “no one can islamise or Christainise Nigeria because if God wanted us all to be Muslims, He would have created us so, and if He wanted us all to be Christians, He would have created us so. We must, therefore, commit to live in peace with one another regardless of our religious beliefs.
“We must love one another and not allow politicians play with our intelligence because the present political dispensation could cause Nigeria a lot of problem, we must not allow politicians to use our heads, We must unite together as one and allow politicians to do their things.
“We go to the same market, use same roads, go to the same hospital and God blesses us all with natural resources hence there is no basis for us to fight but live as one entity and one family under God’s protection and provision. So, I admonish pastors, mallams, traditional leaders to consciously chart a way forward for peaceful coexistence amongst all and sundry. The devil is our common problem and we must all unite to fight the devil. Humanity should be respected above religion and accepting each other the way we are.”
On the essence of the friend’s day service, the Senior pastor of the church, Reverend Joshua Anyam, said it was basically to foster peaceful and religious coexistence among their neighbourhoods.
“As a church, we are committed to building a community of peace and believe me, we can live in peace if we respect each others faith and tell each other the truth. What we are doing today is what we have been doing annually for several years now. We donate foodstuff to our neighboring Muslims during Ramadan and also invite them to worship with us on what we call friend’s day, an opportunity we equally discuss how we can further and together promote peace in the state and country at large,” he said.
In their messages, Wakilin Shehu Borno, Bata Madaki Auta and Sarkin Dutse Alhaji Shuaibu Balarebe Abdullahi among others, who spoke during the church service all commended ECWA for such good initiative and urged other churches and Islamic bodies to toe the same line.
Earlier in his message, Dr. Mohammed Labaran Dawa harped on peace and unity amongst all regardless of religion, tribe or ethnicity, stressing that heaven and hell is real and, “we must all be committed to live in peace with one another.”
Chairman, community relations committee of the church, Senator Haruna Azee Zego commended the Muslim invitees for honouring their invitation, and further stressed that the invitation extended to Muslims within their host community to worship with them was borne out of the love to sustain religious peaceful coexistence.