UN Interfaith Week:Over 100,000 Christian,Muslim Clerics To Pray For World Peace.

By Frederick Peters, KADUNA.

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA-Over 100 thousand Christian and Muslim clerics are expected to offer special prayers and fasting for World Peace as the World celebrates the United- Nation World lnternational lnterfaith Week and harmony which usually starts from First week of February every year.

The essence of the UN Interfaith week slated for the 1st-7th, is to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith ,tribe, culture ,ethnicity ,race, color,height ,region or continent,

Speaking on this year’s celebration,a renowned Christian cleric,pastor Yohanna Buru,General Overseer of Christ Evangelical and life lntervention Ministry Sabon-Tasha Kaduna State North Western Nigeria,said he has invited some Muslim scholars to the church.

This according to him is aimed at mobilising over one hundred thousand of Muslims and Christians scholars across 36 states of Nigeria to use the interfaith week and harmony to offer special prayers and fasting for peace stability in the country and the world in general

“This is also to strengthening the Nigerian military and police , para-military ,civilian JTF and Vigilantes to take over the activities related to insecurity challenges which include Terrorism ,armed banditry, Kidnapping ,armed-robbery , Cattles rustling etc .” he added

Buru pointed that , the interfaith week provides the golden opportunity for Christians and muslims with other religious and traditional leaders to meet – interact and deliberate on issues related to religious Tolerance, better understanding, peace building and new ways of empowering communities and groups different skills to resist activities related to violent extremism, gansterism ,Cultism and other unlawful act that affect peace stability on the country,

The cleric said, they are going to use Radio, Television, newspapers and social media to mobilizes more Christians-Muslims scholars to used the week by United Nation with the aims of enlightening different faith base organization on the need to sustained peace,love,unity and forgiveness.

“Our targets is to communicate with 50,000 muslims-50,000 christians through the media to used the week in spreading the message of peace,Love,forgiveness”

The world Interfaith Harmony Week is a UN resolution for a world-wide week of interfaith harmony proposed in 2010 by King Abdullah ll and prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan,

The week also recognizes the moral imperatives of all religions, convictions, and beliefs call for peace, tolerance, and mutual understanding

Buru said, The called has become mandatory in view of the increase crisis which include farmer –herders clashes , ethno-religious political instability that has affected all sector of human endeavors starting from economic setback, education, Tourism,

The one week prayers and fasting would help the country toward tackling most of problems associated ethnicity ,and religious impediment .,

We are taking the Campaign to all places of worships,social gathering,market places, schools,Hotel, Car-park,football view centers, Temples,football stadiums,internally displaced people IDPs, traditional wrestling center and to all media house including the on-line.

“we have sent message to all our friends Muslims and Christians clerics to dedicate more time in praying for the country and world at large”

“We want to called on all clerics to offer special prayers at night and fasting for God to bring an end to the insecurity challenges”

“we want to used this week in praying To almighty God to bring an end to the increasing number of CoVid 19 infections and daily death that is threatening the existence of human being”

Buru said,,The week provide many opportunities for people across the universes to meet and deliberate on ways to better understand themselves on how to live with one another irrespective of his tribe, religion, ethnicity,color,race country\

Nigerian been tagged as the most religious country in the country in the world, there fore we must submit every thing to the hands of the lord

The Christian cleric says they are going to take the campaign to many place while maintaining social distancing to avoid the spread of Corona virus ,

Stressing that for the fast 8 years his organization has been organizing many event to mark interfaith week and harmony which include using games like football and skating competition between muslims and Christians to foster peace,

“despite the spread of Corona virus, we still have line up activities to mark this year interfaith week celebration with various groups and communities peace iniciative”

Mallam Gambo Abdullahi lead a delegation of some muslims to the church to strengthening good relationship with Christians

He said, there is need for all religious leaders to be more committed toward sensitizing the public on the importance of this week to the entire people of the world

Adding also that the week is very importance most especially looking at Nigerian situation where there is always religious violence and ethinicity difference

It must be noted that the week promote mutual understanding and inter-religious dialogue

He then called on all faith-based organizations, Jama’atul nasril islam JNI , Christians association of Nigeria CAN and peace ambassadors ,state and federal Government to use the 7 days toward sensitizing the general public on the importance of tolerating each other for peace stability

While calling on creation of peace clubs for young childrens in schools and communities,he equally appealed for wealthy individuals to be sponsoring friendly matches between muslims and Christians,

“we will take the campaign to mosques and to sensitizes the youth on the interfaith week”he further stressed