Some Muslim leaders trying to cause religious war - CAN

Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has accused some Muslim leaders and preachers of fueling religious crisis through their preaching and communication to the public.

According to CAN some Islamic preachers and Muslim leaders, particularly in Kwara State, are protected by the support of the government which emboldens them in their radical actions.

CAN General Secretary, Joseph Daramola, in a statement released yesterday, expressed fears over some unfriendly reactions from some oppressed Christians.

He noted that in Kwara state, the government continue to implement policies that are not favourable to Christians.

“CAN is still trying to curb the violence occasioned by Kwara governor’s directive to mission’s schools to allow the wearing of hijab, when some ‘extremists’ went and built Ummul Khair Central Mosque and Islamic Centre beside Catholic Bishop’s House and the secretariat. This was primarily to tempt peace-loving Christians into a religious crisis.

“To compound the problem, one Abubakar Ali-Agan and the general manager, Kwara State Physical Planning Authority, claimed there was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Catholic Bishop of Ilorin and the owners of the Ummul Khair Central Mosque before erecting the structures, whereas, it was absolute falsehood and misinformation.

“We challenge them to publish the said MoU. It is time we advised some Muslim leaders in the country to stop fishing in troubled waters with a view to provoking Christians whom they share the same neighbourhood. This should stop.”

CAN, therefore, appealed to the Kwara State government to immediately reconsider their decisions in other for peace to reign in the state.

“It is an open secret that no religion has a monopoly of violence, hence, Christian leaders continue, always, to caution faithful Christians against provocative actions against other religions or citizens wherever they live as Christ taught us,” he said.

He also called on the security agencies to be on alert and prevent any group of people whose actions can lead to religious war and charged Islamic leaders to caution their members to desist from provocative actions.