Tuesday’s special Ramadan Iftar at the Al-Ahfad Mosque in Gombe brought together clerics and members of the Muslim and Christian communities with the goal of promoting harmony and religious tolerance.
Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party’s (SDP) 2023 presidential candidate, spoke at the occasion and characterized the conjunction of Ramadan and the Christian Lenten season as a special chance for a national rebirth.
“This holy Ramadan, which falls during Christians’ Lent, is a time to redeem ourselves, reaffirm our faith, and consider our identity as a community,” Adebayo stated.
He asserts that rather than causing conflict, the existence of Islam and Christianity in Nigeria should be viewed as a “double blessing.”
In order to create a cohesive and forward-thinking country, he exhorted Nigerians to uphold the fundamental principles of both religions: justice, peace, and responsible leadership.
“If we unite and use the principles of our religions to raise a new generation, they won’t be thinking about how to get rid of each other; instead, they will be thinking about how to get rid of bad leadership,” he said. “The earlier we begin, the better for us; the faith and characteristics of our religions talk about peace, justice, and raising leaders who will unite us.”
Dr. Umar Dokaji, the mosque’s chief imam, stated earlier in his speech that the meeting was appropriate because both Muslims and Christians observe fasting times.
He pointed out that asking Islamic and Christian experts to share a meal together was a real-world example of religious tolerance, particularly during a period when the nation is dealing with ethnic and terrorist crises in some areas and claims of religious persecution.
In addition to urging assistance for marginalized communities and emphasizing that justice is still crucial to addressing Nigeria’s ongoing problems, Dokaji stated, “This type of gathering will help unite the two major religious faithful and will go a long way in preventing deadly religious crisis in the largest Black nation on earth.”
Speaking on behalf of the Christian invitees, Reverend Abare Kalla, a former North-east Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, said that the united fasting period was divinely planned.
He emphasized that the vast majority of Muslims worldwide oppose terrorism and noted that the prayers and supplications made by Muslims during Ramadan are similar to those made by Christians during Lent.
Together, Christians and Muslims can defeat the forces of violence and division endangering the nation, he continued.
As an example of peaceful coexistence, Kalla recounted how the Christian and Muslim communities in Nasarawa State had previously settled a dispute over a place of worship in an amicable manner.
Islamic experts, Christian priests, and local leaders came together for the interfaith Iftar with a shared demand for justice, peace, and national unity.