Members of various communities in the country have been told that diverse religious, ethnic, linguistic and cultural affiliations should not necessarily result in disunity.

Speaking at the Ramadan lecture organised by the Oyun community chapter of Jama'atu Nasril Islam at Onijagbo Palace, Ijagbo in Kwara State, the Director, Centre for Ilorin Studies, University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulganiyu Oladosu, said it was the function of every community member and leader to promote unity in diversity.

"Afterall, the Glorious Quran reminds us of the unity of the human origin, as all men and women of different faith, culture, ethnicity, among others originated from the same parents in person of Adam and Hawau (Eve). It is disheartening to observe that 52 years into the country's independence, some people are still pushing the idea of secession and disintegration. These elements might have lost sight of the wise sayings that: united we stand, divided we fall, and that one hand can never clap, and also that, it is when the five fingers unite that they can beat the chest sonorously," he said.

Speaking on the topic, The role of the Muslim Ummah in a multi-religious country like Nigeria, Profesor Oladosu, who is also the Chief Imam of University of Ilorin, said that interactions between Muslims and Christians and adherents of other faiths should be guided by kindness, justice, mutual respect, mutual understanding and cordial relationship.

He also said that there was nowhere in the Glorious Quran or the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) where approval was granted for anybody or group of bodies to attack churches or other places of worship, adding that, "in fact, all places of worship have sactity and are therefore, safe havens for the faithful."

The Islamic scholar also said that community and religious leaders in the country have additional responsibility of convincing misguided who he said had constituted themselves into perennial cogs in the wheel of national unity, and make them understand that it is not part of the grand design of Allah to force any particular faith on mankind.

"In fact, if Allah had so wished, he could have forced the totality of mankind to believe in one single God or to affiliate to one single religion but out of His special grace, men and women are given the freedom of choice among several religious options", he said.

He also said that community and religious leaders should therefore, endeavour to guide aright and re-educate the misguided elements in their folds, saying there could be no peaceful co-existence and national unity where places of worship are bombed and set ablaze.

He also said that people must also support any effort to include the imperatives of peaceful co-existence as well as unity in diversity, in the school curricula at various educational levels.