RELIGIOUS COOPERATION CAN SOLVE OUR PROBLEM IF USED PROPERLY

For a Peaceful, Developed and Progressive Nigeria, there is a fervent need for cooperation between the Nigerians and especially the religious leaders.
If one looks and observes the security challenges we are facing in the country, adding to the level of bribery and corruption in the socioeconomic and political sectors, one must reach a conclusion that only religion can solve our problems if used properly. We are living in an era in which we desperately need peace, friendship, and solidarity for peaceful coexistence and sustainable development. The tensions and conflicts that so defined the twentieth century continue in this new century, and innocent people all around us continue to suffer from them. Despite the urgent need for solidarity and cooperation, certain circles are perceived to be inciting ethno-religious conflict, particularly between the two greatest and deep-rooted religions (Islam and Christianity. This issue needs to be scrutinized, as the war of religions that they envisage is having disastrous consequences on us. One of the best ways of preventing such a disaster is to strengthen the dialogue and cooperation between these religions. This is not a hard task, as there are no fundamental differences between Islam and Christianity. To the contrary, there is much common ground between them. Considering the current situation and the nature of the problems, we need shared values that will make cooperation necessary for solving the problems, promote understanding, tolerance, conflict prevention/management, peace building, reconciliation and further the cause of a society dominated by morality, happiness, tranquility, security, and prosperity. This can be achieved by forming an alliance of all conscientious people, namely, sincere and religious Muslims and Christians who will come together and unite in this common cause.
The Muslims and Christian’s leaders and clerics should put in place a joint effort, to fight the vices such as injustice, corruption, oppression, lies, deceit, destruction of lives and properties of innocent people, and so on and so forth, because all these are not acceptable in both religions. This can simply be achieved on the basis of pursuing the common teachings in the religions. That means we need to search for the common ground in the religions and fight the vices (our common enemies) in our society. The joint effort should also use our common teachings to foster peace building, trust building and peaceful coexistence.
Cooperate with all in what is good and pious, and do not cooperate in what is sinful, and fear God, surely God is severe in punishment.
I pray that our religious leaders and scholars should be equal to the task, and strive to filter out the incompetent from among themselves, so that religious instabilities would become history, or be reduced to its lowest. In the same vein, I pray that the followers should not be blind, but open their eyes far and wide and use their common sense, rightly in their follower-ship.#NotAnotherNigerian
By: Mohammed Abba Isa, MIPMA, ACIPM
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