By Mohammed Abubakar
In a bid to strengthen the existing peaceful relationship between Muslims and Christians in Yobe State, the state Hisbah Commission has organized a statewide interfaith dialogue between followers of the two major religions.
The dialogue, supported by the World Bank-assisted Multisectoral Crises Recovery Project (MCRP), aimed at building resilience and fostering peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in line with global best practices, rule of law, and the teachings of the two religions.
Declaring the dialogue open, the Director Alternative Dispute Resolution of the commission, Malam Muhammad Bashir Kukuri, reminded participants not to misconstrue the dialogue as a debate or a forum for confrontation and apportioning blames.
According to Kukuri, the Hisbah Commission was established to enforce morality and sanity in public affairs and conducts, which are not in conflict with the teachings of both Islam and Christianity.
The state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Yohanna A. Audu, represented by Pastor Amos Degubi, commended the Yobe State Government for creating an enabling environment for all to practice their religion.
Papers were presented by Islamic and Christian clerics, as well as veteran media practitioners, on topics such as exploring shared teachings and values for improving inter-personal and inter-communal relations between Christians and Muslims, and the adverse effects of fake news and hate speech in spreading disunity and mistrust.
The participants agreed that fake news, hate speech, and extremism were major contributors to religious violence and resolved to verify information by making inquiries to ensure the veracity of the source.
The interfaith dialogue will continue in other parts of the state, including Potiskum, Gashua, and Nguru.
– Source: Independent Newspaper
