By Ibrahim Abdulmalik
Former Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan has called on Muslims and Christians to eschew hostility and embrace tolerance and harmony.
He made the call on Saturday in Abuja at the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society’s food bank program which provide Iftar to fasting Muslims.
Recalling how Ramadan and Lent started on the same day this year, he noted tnat we should not see it as just coincidence, accident, but rather, as providence that God is asking us to put our heads, hearts and minds together.
“What we as Christians and Muslims are doing is more or less the same thing”, he said, adding that this was the reason that spurred his attendance.
Onaiyekan expressed dismay over the current escalation of hostility in the Middle East saying that the unfortunate development could destabilize the entire region.
He however noted that he hoped that Nigeria would learn from this by not allowing anybody to use religion to cause us to kill ourselves unnecessarily while emphasizing that religion should not stop us from being brothers and sisters.
The Chief Imam and National missioner of Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, Imam Fu’ad Adeyemi in his address, started by extolling
the Cardinal for his gift from his foundation to the Food Bank program and noted that this is not the first time the Cardinal is doing such kind gesture and that the Cardinal has shown that working together can always make us greater.
“If you want to preach our religion, the best way to preach it is in a peaceful way. You can convince me that your religion is better than my own if you are the best to humanity” , Imam Fu’ad stated.
He concluded by narrating how his grandfather, the then Chief Imam of Odeomu town lived in harmony with his Christian counterparts. According to him, when the Anglican Church finished their Church service every Sunday, they would bring the earnings of that day to come and give his grandfather.
He also recalled how his grandfather would ask the Catholic priests to come and take some of his children to go and serve them.
In a further remark by Peter Ogunmuyiwa, the Archbishop of the African diocese mentioned that Ramadan and Lent coinciding is to echo what Imam Fu’ad has been preaching to the world that we don’t need to fight over religion and that coming together today is to further consolidate what we believe in.
Onaiyekan was accompanied by Agatha Chikelue, Executive Director of the Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP).
