Islamic scholar and secretary of the Kaduna Sultan Bello mosque, Sheikh Hamisu Ya’u, has urged Nigerians to beware of politicians who create religious dichotomy between Muslims and Christians for political gains.
He therefore urged Christians and Muslims to unite and refuse to be divided on religious grounds by selfish politicians who, after achieving their political aspirations, abandon them.
Sheikh Ya’u stated this at a friend’s day church service at the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) gospel church, Lemu road, Kaduna South local government of Kaduna State where no fewer than 50 Muslims, Islamic and traditional leaders worshiped with their Christian counterparts
He said it is unfortunate that people take pleasure in causing chaos between other people for their selfish reasons, adding that “You are 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 Muslims as your brothers, so we must strive to be each other’s brothers keeper.”
He said contrary to take teachings by some pastors and Imams “No one can islamize 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.”
He continued, “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 forward for peaceful coexistence amongst a 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.”
“We must love one another and not allow politicians to play with our intelligence because the present political dispensation could cause Nigeria alot of problem, we must not allow politicians to use our heads, We must unite together as one and allow politicians to do their things” he admonished.
Speaking on the essence of the friend’s day service, the senior pastor of the church, Reverend Joshua Anyam said it is to foster peaceful and religious coexistence among their neighborhood.
He said “As a church we are committed to building a community of peace and belief 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 food stuff 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, the Wakilin Shehu Borno, HRH 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 going forward.
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.
The chairman, Community relation 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 coexistence.
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