Muslim Forum urges religious leaders to promote peaceful co-existence

The Muslim Solidarity Forum, Sokoto has urged religious leaders in the country to do everything possible to promote peaceful co-existence in Nigeria.

Chairman of the Forum, Professor Isa Maishanu, made the call in a Press Conference in Sokoto, while reacting to the Christmas message of the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Kukah where he attributed violence to Islam.

According to Professor Maishanu, the forum was not to hold brief for President Muhammadu Buhari, “rather our concern is the image and reputation of Muslim.

“This, which Bishop Kukah finds pleasure in attacking without an iota of caution and by referring the President as a Muslim, that automatically brings all Muslims in the issue.

“In the massage the Bishop chose to attack Islam and Muslims, especially those from Northern parts of the country.

“Kukah has the penchant to speak in parables and innuendos. His reference to a people who possess ‘a pool of violence to draw from’ no doubt is referring to those he always characterised with violence.”

“However, it is not expected of him as a Christian leader who lives peacefully and happily in the Seat of the Caliphate not to appreciate his Muslim host community,” the Chairman said.

The forum leader said the Bishop’s statements were unbecoming of someone who was a Secretary to the National Peace Committee and a member of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC).

“As such, we call on Kukah to immediately tender unreserved apology to the entire Muslims Ummah in the country.

“This is because of his actions of trying to break the age-long peaceful coexistence between the predominantly Muslim population in the seat of the Caliphate and their Christian guests,” he added.

Maishanu commended Muslims for maintaining peaceful co-existence in the country while urging all to continue to embrace one another as enshrined in the principles of Islam.

The forum is an umbrella body for Islamic Organisations, Islamic Centres, Sufi Order, Imams, Islamic scholars and preachers in Sokoto state.

Lateefah Ibrahim