Maitama Sule, others charge citizens on religious tolerance

Posted by admin Latest Politics Monday, February 14th, 2011

FORMER Nigerian Permanent Representative in the United Nations (UN), Alhaji Maitama Sule, has argued that the Nigerian problem has no bearing with religious differences but with the individual practitioners who are not faithful to the teachings of their Holy Books.

Sule spoke yesterday at the opening ceremony of the 25th National Qur’anic Recitation Competition in Dutse, Jigawa State.

He explained that Islam as a religion was not opposed to other religions that were before it.
His words: “Islam has not come to condemn the other previous religions of God. It has come to corroborate and correct any interpolations in the previous religions.

“I made a statement one day, which was misunderstood. I said I as a Muslim, I am also a Jew and a Christian. In fact, I am a better Jew than the Jew because I believe in the original Jewish teachings, I believe also in the original teachings of Christianity. If you are a good Muslim, you have to believe in all the prophets and all the books of the prophets.”

Sule said there was no need for the discrimination that has caused the country incessant crises and further under-developed the nation.

The Danmassani Kano averred that if the people should practise their faiths according to their teachings, there would have been no cause for the problems in the world.

He pointed out that Islam is synonymous with good virtues of leadership, neighbourliness, kindness and doing good to others always.

Guest Speaker at the event, Prof. Sambo Wali Junaidu of the Department of Arabic Studies, Othman Danfodio University Sokoto, urged the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to create a National Holy Bible Memorisation and Recitation Competition in the country so that states could support it too.

He added: “I must appeal to non-Muslim Governors to cooperate with their counterparts, the Muslim governors, in the spirit of the Nigerian Inter-religious Council co-chaired by His eminence the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, CAN president, so that the National Quranic competition goes round all States.

“In the spirit of National Unity if CAN decides to organize a National Holy Bible Recitation Competition, Muslim governors should also join hands with their counterparts to host such long awaited competition.”

In the same vein, Sheik Dahiru Usman from Bauchi said followers of the two faiths should not misunderstand themselves because they are both practicing the same teachings, stressing that there was no need for the hatred and intolerance among all religions.

-Guardian

wp_posts