Islamic banking: Group calls for Muslims, Christians dialogue

Posted by admin Headlines Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

The Muslim Rights Concern on Tuesday called for dialogue between Christians and muslims on the controversial Islamic banking.

In a statement by the Director of the MURIC, Dr. Ishaq Akintola, the association urged Christian leaders to allow reason to prevail.

It also called on Muslim youths and leaders to refrain from issuing inflammatory statements that could result in violence.

Akintola said the ongoing debate was taking a dangerous dimension as Christian organisations, particularly the Christian Association of Nigeria had expressed fears over the proposed Islamic banking.

He said, “We of the Muslim Rights Concern, in total commitment to our avowed motto ‘dialogue, not violence’, urge all stakeholders to remain level-headed. We believe that beheading is not the cure for headache. We call on muslims in the country to continue on the path of civilised debate and intellectual enlightenment. We have no doubt that superior logic and common sense will eventually sway the pendulum.”

He added that enduring relationships were not built on threats but on mutual respect.

While explaining that a huge enterprise like the Islamic banking required a peaceful atmosphere to grow, he assured Nigerians that Muslims were not interested in war.

He said positive statements by finance experts such as the Minister of Finance, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, should be objectively analysed and studied, adding that Christians should appreciate the fact that equal rights and participation were the essential lubricants of the engine of democracy.

Akintola noted that the nation had suffered retardation resulting from religious and tribal disturbances.

He said, “Democracy necessitates tolerance of alternatives. Nigeria became a debtor nation due to frivolous interest charges in debt servicing.

“Let us therefore try another financial system without the burden of the current high interest of 24 per cent, one that will run pari passu with the existing ones. Islamic banking offers that opportunity.

“We therefore urge all citizens to go about their lawful duties without fear.”

-Punchwp_posts