Muslim/Christian youths match for peace in Jos

Posted by admin Headlines, Plateau, State News Friday, September 16th, 2011

Muslims and Christians youths in Jos yesterday matched through major streets in the state capital urging residents to forget their differences and embrace peace, this was just as Catholic faithful in the state marked the feast of the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows to pray for peace in Plateau state.

The Archbishop of Jos, Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, had ordered the fasting, by asking Catholics to stay away from food from 6:00am to 6:00pm yesterday and to donate what they would have spent on food to charity. The archbishop also asked them to abstain from meat today in memory of those who lost their lives in the crises in Plateau. Masses were held at various churches to celebrate the occasion.
The rally, which was attended by over one thousand Christian and Muslim was to commemorate the 2011 World Peace Day.

The youths who were accompanied by the security agencies to Plateau State House of Assembly complex where they expressed their anger over the reoccurrence crisis in the state and called on stakeholders in the state to close ranks in the interest of peace. Rev. Joseph Bot who led the group said the circle of violent in the state must be reverse and restoration of peace should be everybody’s business, describing the division of residential areas in the state capital along religion lines as unhealthy for the peaceful co-existence of the two religions.

Special Adviser to the Governor Jonah Jang on Peace Building, Mr. Timothy Parlong said the causes of the crisis in the state are not mainly religious, adding that the causes are multi-faceted. Parlong said there must be peace in the state for government to be able to deliver the dividends of democracy to the citizenry and urged all and sundry to corperate with the security agencies in the state and report any suspicious movement and persons with dubious character.

-Sunwp_posts