Nigerians Urged to Respect Other Faiths
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.
Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Chikanda Sadiq Umar Yusuf Amuda Aluko Suleiman Yahya Alapansapa Obuh Photo News Eruku Abdulganiyu Oladosu Ilorin.Info Abdulsalam Firdaous Amosa Gbemisola Saraki Ndama Al-hassan Bashiru Makama Bio Ibrahim Maimunat Oniyangi Saka Onimago Elerin Of Erin-Ile Aliyu Kora-Sabi Patience Jonathan Umar Sanda Yusuf Owode Market Olayinka Jelili Yusuf Abubakar Baba Sulaiman Lai Mohammed Kunle Akogun Oniwasi Agbaye Adebayo Mohammed Kamaldeen Third Estate Suleiman Alege Kuranga Abubakar Lah Adamu Attah Ahmad Lawan Laboratory-to-Product Oyawoye Olam Food Ingredients Igosun Bashirat Bola Bello New Naira Notes Ita-Ore Medinat Folorunsho Salman Okin Malt Facebook Al-Ilory Voices Of Tomorrow Bola Shagaya Imodoye Writer’s Enclave Baruba Wahab Olasupo Egbewole Kwara State Sports Commission Tsado Manman Elese Of Igbaja Jamila Bio Ibrahim Adeleke Ogungbe Shonga Farm Project Gbugbu International Market Sunday Fagbemi Amina Susa\'a De Ahmed Muritala Olarewaju Mahmud Babatunde Baker Imam Gambari Ilorin Airport Students Union Government Oko-Olowo Amos Justus Sayo Adeola Abraham Shehu Salau Jeunkunu-Malete-Bani Quareeb Abdulrasheed Akogun Mary Arinde Usman Rifun Ademola Kiyesola Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission Akeem Lawal Kayode Yusuf AGILE Programme Sabi

