A large number of Muslim youths and Islamic scholars attended this year’s Christmas service and shared many gifts to strengthen Christian–Muslim relationships in the northern part of the country.
According to the General Overseer of Christ Evangelical and Life Intervention Ministry, Pastor Yohanna Buru, every year, hundreds of Muslims from 19 northern states usually joined them in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at his Church, to promote peace and unity.
Buru said the different sects of Muslim organizations, including members of Tijjaniya, Shiites under the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, and other Sunni Muslims joined them with the sole purpose of strengthening peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance.
The Muslim groups also presented gifts to the Church as a sign of peace, love, and better understanding.
“They came with many gifts and awards which they shared to the Christians to strengthen Christian and Muslim relationship.”
The Christian cleric said this year’s Christmas celebration came amid high inflation, insecurity, and rising costs of foodstuff, poverty, and unemployment bedeviling peace and stability in the country.
Buru added that last year, more than 1,000 Muslims attended the Christmas service and they came with their different gifts to share with Christian brothers to strengthen inter-religious tolerance.
Buru further called on Islamic and Christian clergies to embark on ceaseless prayers toward the conduct of peaceful elections in 2023.
He called on Nigerians to equally pray for the Nigerian Army and paramilitary organisations to defeat insecurity challenges bedeviling peaceful coexistence.
Reports revealed that Muslim youths, in corporate dresses, visited other Churches including Unguwar Rimi Church.
Responding, one of the Islamic scholars Sheik Salisu Abdullahi Giwa, who headed a delegation of buses loaded with Muslims from Katsina, Kano, and Zamfara, said they were in Kaduna to join their brothers, the Christians, to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
He said they decided to attend the Church service to mark Christmas, a day that the birth of Jesus Christ was being celebrated over the globe.
He said that as Muslims, they considered Christians as their fellow brothers and sisters in humanity, stressing that they were at the Church service to join them in celebrating and sharing the joy of the day with them.
He then appealed to Muslims and Christians to remember that they were all the children of eve and Adams.
He said both adherents had holy books sent from one God which taught and guided them how to live in peace and harmony with anyone, irrespective of tribe, culture, and ethnicity.
Another imam based in Kaduna, Malam Ibrahim Musa from Hayin Kogi, expressed happiness about how Muslims and Christians promoted a good relationship.
He added that they would award the pastor for promoting peace for many years in the state.
Mohammed Zakariya, who headed Nigeria Youth for Peace Initiative, also lead a team of Muslims to Unguwar Rimi church.
After attending the service, they shared gifts and some economic trees for the Church.
News Agency of Nigeria
