Nigerians Urged to Respect Other Faiths

Date: 2012-08-16

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.

Source

 


Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Haruna Tambiri Mohammed     Abdulhakeem Amao     CACOVID     Azeez Bello     Alfa Modibbo Belgore     Modibo Kawu     Kamaldeen Ajibade     Labaeka     Jumoke Gafar     Abdullahi AbdulMajeed     HICA     Abdulrahman Abdulrasak     Ilorin General Hospital     Salman Jawondo     Junior Secondary School Certificate Examinations     Okoolowo     Abdulkadir Jimoh     TESCOM     Student Learning Support Helpline     Code Of Conduct     Local Government Pension Board     Bamidele Aluko     Olomu Of Omu-Aran     Femi Agbaje     Ahmed Idris Mohammed     Borgu     IYA ALFA NLA     Kwara State Geographic Information Service     Senate President     Countryside Emerging Leaders Fellowship     Muazam Nayaya     Plat Technologies Limited     Ahmad Lawan     National Party Of Nigeria     Adamu B. Yaqubu     Aliyu Muhammed     Ganmo Power Sub-Station     Yahaya Jibril Usman     Gbemi Saraki     Kwara State Pension Board     Kwara Poly     Col. Adedipe     Segun Abifarin     University Road     Elesie Of Esie     Ibrahim Agboola Gambari     Balogun Gambari     Soffiyyallah Kamaldeen     Igbaja     Dele Momodu     Rafiu Olasile     Durosinlohun Atiku     Abdulrasaq Alaro     Assayomo     Taofeeq Olateju     Playing Host     Musa Aibinu     CLAY POT     Durosinlohun Kawu     KWASIEC     Danladi     Ayedun     Olaoye B. Felix     Rabiu Kwankwaso     Olatomiwa Williams     Kabir Shagaya     Sulu Babaita Isiaka     Ilorin Emirate     Yusuf Amuda Aluko     International Public Sector Accounting Standards     Ilorin East     CELF     Societe Generale Bank Of Nigeria     AbdulHakeem Ajibola Akanbi     MATTA Girls Foundation     Garba Dogo     Omoniyi M. Ayinla    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Sherif Shagaya     Dapo Teni Nig Enterprise     Kale Ayo     Rotimi Atere     Rafiu Ajakaye     Ilorin Emirate Stakeholders Forum     Ilorin General Hospital     Ronke Adeyemi     Muritala Awodun     Taofik Abdulkareem Babaita     Bureau Of Lands     Kwara State Government     Modibbo Kawu     Plat Technologies Limited     Isiaka Yusuf     Umar Yakubu Jaja     Abdulrahman Abdulrazak     Ajidagba     Alumni Association Of The Federal Polytechnic Offa     Kolo     Joseph Daudu     George Funsho Adebayo     Adamu Jemilat-Baki     Abdulrauf Aliyu     Zainab Abass     Isapa     Yusuf Babatunde Abdulwahab     Babajide Ajayi     Abiodun Oyedepo     Elerin Of Erin-Ile     Ayodele Kuburat Olaosebikan     Public Holiday     Lawan     Aisha Buhari     Muazam Nayaya     Olatinwo     Adaramaja     Elerin Of Adanla     Lafiagi     Lawal Arinola Kudirat     Kaosarah Adeyi     Amos Justus Sayo     CLAY POT     Kishira     Demola Banu     Budo Egba     Sunday Popo-Ola     Salman Suleiman     Adedipe     Ado Ibrahim     AGILE Programme     Obasanjo     Samuel Olusegun Adedayo     Laolu Saraki     Rabiu Kwankwaso     Tafida     Abraham Ojo     Special Adviser On Digital Innovation     Abdulrazaq Akorede     Shehu Alimi Foundation     Amosa     Ekiti     Onikijipa     Binta Abubakar-Mora     Saudat Abdulbaqi     Abioye Bello     Kehinde Boyede     Dele Belgore     Kwara TV     Abdulkareem Alabi     Women For Change And Development Initiative     Maja     Zulkifli Ibraheem     Kwara Coalition Of Business And Professional Associations     Monsurat Omotosho     MMWG     Jaiz Bank