IFAP sensitizes Kwali stakeholders on reducing inter Religious tension.

By Sadiq Abubakar, Abuja.

The Inter-Faith Action Programme (IFAP) has organized a two days sensitization programme for stakeholders in Kwali area council of the FCT.

Speaking during the sensitization workshop which held at LEA conference hall in Kwali last Friday, with theme “Reducing Interfaith Religious Tensions And Promotion of Social Cohesion in Nigeria” the assistant programme manager of Daral-Andarus, Fatima Muhammad Nata’alla, said the programme was organized and targeted at Ulamas, clerics, pastors, Imams as well as security agencies on how to sensitize the public to live in peace with each other irrespective of tribe, ethnic and religious affiliations.

She said the programme was first organized by Daral-Andarus, center for peace keeping and conflict resolution, which she said different categories of people including women are trained on how to ensure peaceful coexistence at the grassroots without any religious bias.

“We are using mothers, clerics, pastors, Imams and security agents because whenever there is crisis, these people are the ones that they look up to, to guide them, either in the church, mosque abd community leaders,” she said.

According to her, the community leaders, clerics, village chiefs and Imams were the ones to disseminate information to their people on ensuring peace and harmony among themselves.

She added that Daral-Andarus also trained primary and secondary students as well as students in tertiary institutions, saying conflict sometimes started from school through use of abusive words.

“Aside that, journalists are also trained on this aspect because they are the fourth estate of the realm where they pass information for public consumption,” she added.

Also speaking, the director of Liaison Services for Islamic Education Trust, Minna, Niger state, Alhaji Ibrahim Yahya, stressed on the need people irrespective of their background to ensure peace and harmony among other in the society.

He said a society where there is no peace, development hardly be achieved in such society, saying it is important for both Muslims and Christians to work harmoniously to generate peace.

” The society belongs to both of them and none of them can chase each other out of the society, hence, it is imperative we do things that will keep us together rather than dividing us,” he said.

He further stressed on the need for people to be mindful of information they dish out to the public, saying hate speeches and passing false information has always create tension among people in the society.

“And there is also need to look at parenting. How do we bring up our children as we can’t be taken pride in bringing children to the world without taken pride to take care of them, which is a sin before our creator,” he said.

He, therefore, urged the participants to ensure they sit-up and be at alert to their responsibility, saying parents must teach their wards on how to ensure cordial relationship with others irrespective of tribe, ethnic and religious affiliations.

The village chief of Dangara, HRH Umar Salihu Dangara, who was also among the participants, described the programme as fantastic, saying the theme of the programme has clearly captured most of the challenges the society is facing especially towards religious aspects in the country.

“Besides, when you look at the crisis we are facing in this country, 70 to 80 percent is not religion crisis, but at a point the political leaders vying for political offices will now tactically involve religion, ” he said.

The traditional while commending the organizers of the programme, promised to also sensitize his subjects when he gets home on the need for them to preach peace and harmony relationship among each other irrespective of tribe, ethnic and religious affiliations.