Ever since the departure of the colonialists and the independence of Nigeria State, there has been a sequence and series of ethno-religious conflict across the country. These are mostly caused as a result of religious differences and intolerance orchestrated by some dogmatic extremists and political bigots that only cares about their selfish gains, while subjecting the country into absolute chaos and mayhem with some iota of anarchy, at the expense of lives and properties of the citizenry.
Research has it that the major mercenaries for violence are the youths, they are the ones that are mostly used to cause commotion and crises in the society. That is why a one day workshop was organized to brainstorm, sensitize and to create awareness on religious tolerance and peaceful co-existance between and amongs Christians and Muslims youths of Ganye Chiefdom. The One Day Workshop which was convene by Miss Semen Isaiah Lerum who is also a Fellow at Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation For Peace (COFP) and the State Coordinator of I Have a Conscience Foundation (IHCF), has in her opening remark welcomed all the participants and the invited guests which majorly comprises of people from the Muslim umma and Christian dome to the workshop. Miss Semen stressed the importance of coming together of youths from diverse backgrounds to talk on a common ground devoid of religious prejudice and bias, this and many more are the rationale for the organization of this very workshop. At the end, the convener rightly qouted Sir. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa who asserted that “Unity is our greatest concern and it is the duty of everyone of us to work so that we may strengthen it”. By implication this assertion is an obligation for the sustenance of peaceful co-existance in our society.
The Guest Speaker, Rev. Fr. Attah Barkindo Ph.D who is also the Executive Director Kukah Center Abuja and an expert in the field of Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism has done Justice to the subject matter. He explicably addressed the emergence of Christianity and Islam, their areas of similarities and diversities. According to Barkindo religion extremism is the cardinal remote cause of religious violence, the feelings of being certain that your beliefs and way of life are right and that others should accept them, without paying attention to evidence or other opinions. This is evident in the popular rebellion of Boko Haram sect. Barkindo further reiterates that their are many cases of intra-relgious and inter religious rivalries, giving the instances of a Muslim sunni being in contrast to a Muslim Shia, likewise an Orthodox and Pentecostal Christians and by extension Christians versus Muslims and vice versa. In most cases, poverty, lack of empowerment and injustice are the factors necessitating violence and crisis in the society.
Lastly Fr. Barkindo urges youths of the Chiefdom, irrespective of religion and tribe to shun ethno-religious conflicts, terrorism and to embrace peace, hardwork and knowledge in all they do, citing himself as a product of hardwork and education.
PIONEER NEWS 