Peaceful coexistence: Zulum meets Islamic, Christian clerics, preaches peace, tolerance, unity to end Boko Haram

Peaceful coexistence: Zulum meets Islamic, Christian clerics, preaches peace, tolerance, unity to end Boko Haram

By Madu Mohammed, Maiduguri

The Borno state Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum has called on peaceful coexistence, unity, tolerance and support among both Muslims and Christians faithfuls to end Boko Haram insurgency and restore lasting peace back to the state.

The meeting brought together Islamic cleric under the Jamatul Nassurul Islam (JNI) Jamatul Izalatul Bidi’a wa Ikamatu sunnah and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)

Governor Babagana Zulum who made the call on Monday when he had an engagement with Muslim and Christian clerics at the Government House, Maiduguri, he said therefore, I call upon you, our revered faith leaders, to preach peace, from your Minbars during the Juma’at prayers and on your pulpits on the service days, let your messages be that of unity, tolerance, and our shared values of love, compassion, and justice. I urge all of us to actively speak against any voice, within or without, that seeks to divide us along religious lines. Let us encourage dialogue among our congregations and build bridges at every opportunity, the path ahead is one of rebuilding, not just of bricks and mortar, but of bonds and brotherhood. Let us walk this path together, hand in hand, faith in faith.

” I welcome you all, most warmly, to this very important gathering. For over a decade, our beloved state has been bedeviled by acts of insurgency and terrorism that has tested our resilience, fractured our families, and challenged our humanity. We have mourned, struggled, and fought—not just with arms, but with an unwavering spirit to reclaim our peace and our future., Governor Zulum said

He said “Today, I want to address a fundamental pillar that will shape our future, the peaceful coexistence between our Muslim and Christian communities,  Let me begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to our respected and revered leaders of faith for consistently responding to our call.

You have continually mobilized your respective congregations to undertake special prayers and periods of fasting, seeking the return of peace and tranquillity to our dear state and to our nation as a whole.”

While seeking the support of the clerics, Governor Zulum said ” Your support will also be appreciated in areas of enhancing the capability of our military in the fight against insurgency, May the Almighty God, who knows us all, grant us the wisdom, the courage, and the love to build a Borno where peace reigns, where justice prevails, and where every citizen is valued equally”

“Borno is not only strategically positioned geographically but also has a unique and beautiful family composition dynamics. It is common to find under one roof, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, who profess different faiths. We share meals, we celebrate festivities and milestones, we grieve losses together, as one family, bound by blood and love that transcends religious labels. This is our reality. This is our strength. We must protect this sacred bond within our homes and allow it to define our individual, as well as intra- and cross-community engagements. It is absolutely crucial that we collectively dispel all false narratives that seeks to portray our security crisis in a religious colouration. Religious conflict is alien to us”, he further stressed

The Governor explained that “The Boko Haram conflict, is not a religious crisis. It is an assault on our civilisation, humanity, and all that we hold dear, irrespective of creed. The perpetrators of violence have killed, maimed, and displaced Muslims and Christians alike. They have destroyed mosques and churches with equal impunity..

He also said “the statistics of victim hood are stark and heart-breaking. While every single life lost is regrettable, the data clearly shows that the overwhelming majority of those who have suffered death, abduction, and displacements are our Muslim brothers and sisters. The number of Muslim victims is, tragically, more than that of our Christian compatriots. This tragedy binds us in a common grief and demands a united response. Suffering knows no sect; therefore, our solidarity must know no bounds. ”

” in our reconstruction, resettlement and rehabilitation drives, the Borno State Government has been guided by one principle, justice, equity, and inclusivity. Our reconstruction policy is not based on religion and ethnicity.

We rebuild based on need and on our commitment towards restoring the social fabric of every community.

To that end, I wish to inform you that, as part of our massive reconstruction programme across the affected local government areas, the Borno State Government has reconstructed 45 Christian worship centres that were destroyed during the Boko Haram insurgency. This number include 16 from Hawul, 11 from Gwoza, 10 from Askira-Uba and 8 from Chibok.

We did not do all these as a favour; we did it as a duty. Just as we have rebuilt countless mosques, markets, schools, and homes, these churches stand as physical testaments to our policy of non-discrimination. They are symbols of hope and of our collective determination to rebuild not just structures, but trust., he added.

He assured that the Borno state government is committed to the welfare, security, and protection of every single citizen, saying that ” Your safety is of great concern to our administration. Your right to worship, according to your faith, without fear or hindrance, is sacrosanct. We will continue to work with security agencies and with you, our community leaders, to ensure this protection.”.

He also called on the international community, to partner with the government at state and Federal levels in addressing the underlying causes of the insurgency which according him is not limited to endemic poverty, illiteracy, hunger among others.

Responding the JNI chairman represented by its Secretary Sheik Jafar Ngamdu thanked the Governor for convening such meeting aimed at fostering lasting peace in the state, adding that Borno has never witness religious crisis and Insha Allah shall not witness it.

He said both Islamic and Christianity scriptures preaches peace and called on all faithfuls to leave peacefully with one another.

Also, the Borno state CAN chairman, Rev. John Bakeni commended the Governor for such engagements and hope that such meeting will be regularly.

” Nobody would come from outside to solve our problem, we must seat together to solve our problem.” The CAN Chairman said