Religious tolerance key to Nigeria”s unity- The Criterion

Nigerians must learn to imbibe religious tolerance to secure a lasting unity in the country, The Criterion, an Association of Muslim Women in business and the professions has said.   The group made the appeal during its 2016 seminar that held on Sunday in Lagos with the theme: ‘Discouraging Deviant Ideology in Islam’   Guesst […]

Nigerians must learn to imbibe religious tolerance to secure a lasting unity in the country, The Criterion, an Association of Muslim Women in business and the professions has said.

 

The group made the appeal during its 2016 seminar that held on Sunday in Lagos with the theme: ‘Discouraging Deviant Ideology in Islam’

 

Guesst speaker at the event who is Lagos State Commissioners for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdullateef Abdulhakeem said the prophet through whom Islam was propagated lived peacefully with people practising other religions.

Abdulhakeem who spoke on the topic ‘Misrepresentation and Misinterpretations of Islamic Teachings’ explained that those who misconstrue Islam’s teachings fail their responsibility to others as obliged by the almighty Allah.

He said: ”We must be good to our family, neighbours, orphans, the poor and our companions regardless of their religions. That enlightenment is the spirit that everybody must imbibe.

"The holy Prophet Muhammad lived with Christian and he accommodated everybody. So we want a situation whereby people know that Islam says no to violence, intolerance and rebellious activities. Everybody must understand that."

He stressed that Nigeria had been in a marriage through its amalgamation more than 100 years ago, and so Nigerians just need to learn to live together irrespective of their ethnic, religious ethnic or political affiliations.

"I believe that this particular programme is aimed at further enlightening Muslims on how to avoid deviant ideology and extreme tendencies; to learn to be modest and to rate others and then live so that others can also live, he added."