The Jews Community of Nigeria has hosted some members of the Muslim and Christian communities and Media organizations to an Iftar dinner in Abuja as Muslims round off Ramadan.
Muslims worldwide observe Iftar during Ramadan by breaking their fast after sunset for the evening meal.
Speaking at the Iftar Dinner in Abuja yesterday, Chief Rabbi of Nigeria, Rabbi Israel Uzan said Nigerians are completely living together and I saw the mixing of different religions and different people living together and this the reality of this country
He said “In Nigeria, for the last ten years that am here, maybe am too naive or I have to change my glasses, I don’t see so much problem that we talk always in the newspaper. yes, there are many problems but there are so many good aspects of Nigeria.
“Nigerians are coexistence together, celebrating all the holidays together.
We have Jews country, Muslims, and Christians country, and all of them thank God.
“Nigerians are as a country they are always together because you cannot identify it as Christians, Muslim or Jews country. Nigeria is a beautiful mixed country, mixing family, politics, and business and tonight this is what we can see.
Also, an Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman said what unites us is so much more than anything that divides us and the differences that we have, are so minor in comparison to the fact that we are Abraham’s children.
“We all come from stem from Abraham, we all come from the same place and we all are going to end up in the same place ultimately, and so to be able to seal this is something special.
“Today is that opportunity for us to say, never again, not only say never again but to demonstrate it under this roof. Christians, Muslims Jews, celebrating what unites us celebrating the festivals, we have just finished Easter, we’ve just been in Passover and We’re about to finish Ramadan”.
The National Imam, Dr. Kabir Adam, said,” Let us reaffirm our commitment to peacebuilding, our commitment, to peaceful coexistence, our commitment to always receive each other, live with each other and everybody is free to his own belief. Islam is very clear.
“Well, I think the last few days we celebrated the Passover, and before last Friday, we had Good Friday, as well as Easter on Monday. The three things used to happen only three times in 100 years, So this year is very historic.
“Qur’an said there is no compulsion in religion, so you can practice your religion, I can practice my religion, or we can talk to people, sell to them the ideas of our religion, and whoever is interested, he is free to take it or leave it but the most important is for us to always live in peace and understand each other, Kabir said.
Similarly, the Chairman Christians Association of Nigeria, FCT Chapter, Rev. Timothy Amakon said, “Religion should not be something that will divide human beings or something that will make human beings see one another as enemies. But I believe that religion is what God made to unite us.
Timothy said all human beings in the entire world should understand that we are one and that we are serving the same God. It depends on the angle that somebody is coming from, So I pray that God will make us understand it so that all of us will live in peace and practice our religion,
Speaking on the essence of the gathering, Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyah mosque, Imam Fuad Adeyemi explained that our meeting here is confirmed to practicalize what we stand for, that the way God has created us, did not make us uniform and to us, unity does not make use uniformity, that we must be united but that does not mean we should be uniform in the way we do our things.
“What some people are saying is let all religions should be one it cannot be possible. We couldn’t have one religion, but whatever the number of religious groups that we belong to, we should not see it as a weapon that we use to fight ourselves that is the only thing we are saying in the Abrahamic mission.
“The essence of what we are doing here today is also to confirm or to cement that unity. Yes, we are different. Yes, we could do things together. Yes, our difference does not mean we are enemies to ourselves and that is why this program is also trying to promote peace and unity,” he said.
