COMMON GROUND, FOMWAN, DREP Sensitize Kadpoly Students On Freedom Of Religion,  Belief

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: The Search for Common Ground of Nigeria, Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), and Dialogue reconciliation and Peace centre, (DREP), have embarked on a sensitization visit to Kaduna polytechnic students, on freedom of religion and belief.

The one day event which held on Thursday attracted over 200 students, cut across departments and faculties of the institution.

Speaking the coordinator of FOMWAN, Hajia Amira Badiyya Sa’eed Sodangi, said the project is being implemented by FOMWAN, Search for common ground Nigeria and DREP, ” ” it’s being funded by European Union and the essence of the program is to create awareness amongst students, to live peacefully with each other; have peaceful coexistence with each other and then live in harmony without interfering in anybody’s religion, it’s simply to have freedom of belief and religion” she added.

She said ” you can practice whatever you want to practise, without anybody interfering in your affairs.

She further expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the sensitization, ” I’m impressed, especially with the questions the students asked and the enthusiasm from them”

The Project Manager, Search For Common Ground Nigeria, Mr Williams Ubimago, said, ” I manage the inclusive religious engagements in Nigeria, enhanced by women projects across Plateau and Kaduna States, adding that the” project is actually aimed at empowering women, religious leaders and youth activists to promote freedom of religion and belief and inter communal existence within their communities”

According to him, ” the essence of the sensitization, we just had with the students is in light of the recent happenings around universities and tertiary institutions campuses where students discriminate each other, in some cases violence have erupted like the case of Deborah, which has also caused reprisals in south east Nigeria, and even amongst people of the same religion, like Usman Bawa’s case in Sokoto, where fellow Muslims kill another Muslim, just because there was no understanding, 

 ”  so the essence of the visit to campus is to sensitize students and create awareness about freedom of religion, so that students can understand their roles in promoting freedom of religion and belief, to promote social cohesion, religious tolerance and interfaith tolerance within their communities”

He lauded the outcome of awareness, saying, “I’m impressed, it’s quite hard to get the attention of students in a school environment, but what will you do, we just have to make do with the space and attention we got and we do hope that those who benefitted from this sensitization do a peer to peer sensitization to members of their families, friends and others”

Similarly, the program officer Dialogue reconciliation and Peace centre, ( DREP) Agbo Friday Onuche, also the project officer on inclusive religious engagements in Nigeria enhanced by women in DREP, Kaduna state, a project funded by EU, with Search for common grounds, FOMWAN and DREP  as partners.

He described the program a “wonderful one” considering” the antecedents in Nigeria, how religion that is supposed to be an instrument of peace have been used as an instrument of destruction, to destroyed lives and property, 

” so targeting the institutions is one of the pillars of the project where you get the youths, because the youths are like the fuel that flame the fire of conflicts, so targeting them is actually one of serious and good aspect of the project, so it’s wonderful we are able to get their attention” he added.

One of the participating students and SUG Treasurer, Aminatu Ibrahim, impressed by the visit and sensitization  on freedom to worship whatever you want to worship, freedom to choose the religion of choice and how one must not also use your freedom of religion to infringe other peoples right of worship ” She said spreading the massage to others, starts from the class, hostel, during school events. 

She stressed the need for one -on- one awareness, while” empathizing with people using emotional intelligence and  need for tolerance, understanding that though we have different religions but we are having one God”

 Another participant, a student of environmental Biology, Josiah Andrew, said. the awareness is a good one and commendable, ” to be honest with you am happy being present in this awareness because it creates a forum whereby all students tend to understand that several problems that we are facing in Nigeria is as a result of our religious differences, , even in the institutions and anywhere, 

” so we need be frank to  ourselves, we need to let peace reign and remain united to our common goals,” With a call for us to be guided, protect and respect each other’s religion.