Christian Youths led by Dr. Sulieman Shuiabu and Mr. Digi Haruna yesterday visited the national headquarters of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) and pledged to work with its Muslim brothers towards ending the spate of ethno-religious violence in the north. The Christian youths who were accompanied by their Muslims counterpart, unanimously condemned the spate of violence and killings in the country in the name of religion.
The youth under the umbrella body of Muslims/Christian Youth Peace Initiative who were led by their co-chairmen, Dr. Sulieman Shuiabu and Digi Haruna said the aim of their visit was to brainstorm on ways peace could return to the North, saying the North does not only belong to the Muslims alone but to the Christians too.
“We are at the JNI headquarters on a peace mission; we assure you that we will keep moving from state to state in order to teach our people that peace is the only way forward to attaining development in the region.
“We are assuring the people that through this initiative the Muslim and Christian youths have started in the state, there will be no killings in the next election,” the group said.
The youth assured that the group was not political but was bound by mutual respect and understanding for one another, and intended to look at the present instead of dwelling on the past.
“People should emulate the good gesture of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) where he gave Christians space in his mosque for their prayers,” the co-chairmen of the Christian and Muslim group stated.
Responding, the Secretary General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) Dr. Khalid Aliyu Abubakar commended the Christian-Muslim Youth Initiative for its efforts at attaining lasting peace, particularly in the state and the country at large.
According to him, “it is high time we begin to think positively on how to achieve lasting peace, particularly in the North and in Nigeria in general.”
“I am happy to hear some of the revelations on both sides and I think basically and theoretically, Islam encourages dialogue between the two known religions which are Islam and Christianity.
“It is a step ahead towards dialogue, and understanding just as our holy books have taught us to do, am glad that the group has said it is not politically motivated because all these Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) all over. It is one political or the other, wanting to commit his own political atrocity and use the group for that.”
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