The Chairman of Al-Muntazar Foundation, Dr. Sudjat Abubakar Nasir, has called on individuals who hide behind religion to incite violence to reconsider their actions and allow peace and love to thrive among people of different faiths.
Dr. Sajjad Abubakar Nasir made this appeal during a two-day Seminar on Interfaith Peacebuilding organized by the Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COF) in collaboration with the Al-Muntazar Foundation, Zaria.
The event was held at Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria.
He emphasized that peace remains the foundation for progress and development in any society.
According to him, the seminar aimed to revive the long-standing tradition of mutual coexistence between Muslims and Christians living together harmoniously in the area.
Dr. Sajjad Abubakar Nasir stressed that no religion promotes violence against others based on differences in ideology.
The seminar, themed “Fostering Peaceful Coexistence in Religious Diversity in Zazzau Emirate,” focused on strengthening unity among diverse religious communities.
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Samson Auta of the Interfaith Mediation Centre, Kaduna, noted that the seminar centered on encouraging Muslims and Christians to live and work together peacefully while supporting one another.
Auta described peace as paramount, stating that without peace, interfaith relationships cannot flourish, nor can individuals fully serve God.
He attributed much of the violence among different religious groups to misconceptions spread by some leaders pursuing selfish interests.
He also pointed out that corruption and excessive politicization of issues have hindered Nigeria’s meaningful development.
In his remarks, the Chief Imam of Warff Road Mosque, Kaduna, Sheikh Muhammad Sani Isa, urged both Muslims and Christians to adhere to the teachings of their holy books and embrace one another as instructed by their faiths.
Sheikh Isa identified lack of proper religious knowledge, misconceptions, and the politicization of religion for personal gain as major factors fueling division and conflict.
