His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto,
Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar,
yesterday averred that there is no
problem between Christianity and
Islamic religions but instead,
between Christians and Muslims.
The Sultan, who was speaking as a
co-convener of an Interfaith Mini
Conference, which held in Abuja
yesterday, said it was imperative for
Nigerians, regardless of their religious
differences, to accept the fact that we
were all created by one God and as
such, should live as one family.
He said “you cannot claim to love
God when you don’t love your
neighbour”, adding that the adherents
of Christianity and Islam have many
things in common.
He stressed the need for peaceful co-
existence, which according to him,
was imperative now more than ever
before.
“There are problems in this country,
particularly in the North, that require
solutions; let us not deceive
ourselves that there are no problems.
“There is no problem between
Christianity and Islam but between
Christians and Muslims, and we must
all agree to find solutions to these
problems dividing us rather than
uniting us”, he said.
“It is important to know where we
started derailing from being one
another’s brother”, he stated.
Also speaking, His Eminence,
Cardinal John Onaiyekan, who was
also a co-convener, said all hands
must be on deck to address political
crises which often turned religious.
He stressed that if the adherents of
Christianity and Islam would live by
the provisions of their Holy Books, the
country would be better off.
He decried the manipulation of
religion and politics and called on
religious leaders to be on guard and
intensify efforts aimed at finding
solutions to religious crises tearing
the country apart.
“If we have no peace, it is because we
forget that we belong together, and if
people live by what they profess, the
world will be in peace”, Onaiyekan
reiterated.
Contributing, His Highness, the Etsu
Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, called
on religious bodies to adhere strictly
to the rules of their religions.
While decrying the high level of
impunity in the system, the Etsu Nupe
stressed that “unless and until the
laws of Christianity and Islam and
those of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria are adhered to strictly, the
results of our religious differences will
be better imagined than experienced”.
He expressed the hope that decisions
reached at the end of the conference
would be fully implemented.
Earlier in the first paper presentation,
Professor Adamu Baikie, who spoke
on the theme of the conference ‘The
Imperatives of Interfaith
Understanding and Co-operation for
Responsible Politics’, identified
religious, political, social, ethnic and
legal issues as the reasons why
interfaith dialogue has failed, and the
causes of inter-religious tensions and
crises in Nigeria.
He stressed the need for religious
leaders to put their followers on the
right track to achieve peaceful co-
existence.
http://leadership.ng/news/151113/no-problem-between-christianity-islam-their-adherents-sultan