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NASFAT partners Onaiyekan foundation for religious harmony

By Shakirah Adunola
22 February 2019   |   3:55 am
Nasrul Lahil-L-Fatih Society of Nigeria, (NASFAT) has partnered with Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation For Peace (COFP) to promote religious harmony in the country. The groups, during a one-day interfaith workshop, themed ‘ Religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence’, advised Nigerians to vote wisely and shun violence in the upcoming elections. The Chief Missioner, NASFAT, Imam Mahroof Abdulazeez…

The National Women Affairs Secretary of NASFAT, Alhaja Samiat Omolara Mumuni (left); Former President of Young Women Christian Association of Nigeria (YWCA) Lagos Branch, Mrs. Folashade Oyeniyi; Member of YWCA, Mrs Atinuke Oyenuga; The Chief Missioner of NASFAT, Imam Mahroof Abdulazeez Onike; Representive of Kosofe Local Council Chairman, Mr. Abdul Hakeem Giwa and Alhaji Abdur-Rauf Ayodeji during a one-day interfaith workshop organize by NASFAT and Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation For Peace (COFP) in Lagos State.

Nasrul Lahil-L-Fatih Society of Nigeria, (NASFAT) has partnered with Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation For Peace (COFP) to promote religious harmony in the country.

The groups, during a one-day interfaith workshop, themed ‘ Religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence’, advised Nigerians to vote wisely and shun violence in the upcoming elections.

The Chief Missioner, NASFAT, Imam Mahroof Abdulazeez Onike, said religious faithfuls need proper education to be free of all sort of political manipulations.

“What the religious faithfuls need regarding exploitation by religious leaders is education, by the time religious faithfuls study and understand their religion very well they will not be taken for a ride by their leaders.

“As part of NASFAT’s mission to develop and enlighten the Muslim society, we educate out members with Quaranic education, western education, spiritual development and empowerment.When people are educated they know the right from left and nobody can exploit them.

“If faithful’s have adequate knowledge of their religion, nobody can turn them against one another because once people are educated they know the objective of their religion which is promotion of benefit and removal of harm.

“An average NASFAT member knows what Islam entails and what is expected of him or her as a Muslim, this should be practice in other religion and by doing this there won’t be Boko Haram or any violence in the society”, he said.

He pleaded with political leaders not to take advantage of their members.

“Our political leaders should not be bias, let everyone have the right to vote for any candidate of their choice, by compelling members to vote for a particular candidate, means you are denying them their civic right,” he stated.

The convener of the seminar, NASFAT National Women Affairs Secretary, Alhaja Samiat Mumuni, said the event was meant to maintain peace in the society at large .

“All over the world we see people fighting, quarrelling because of religion which is meant to brings peace to the society. This is happening due to misconception, misinterpretation and our selfish interest,” she said.

Mumuni advised the religious faithfuls to live in peace among one another.

“Muslims and other religious faithfuls should be brothers. We should ensure that we maintain peace at homes, in the communities and in the society at large. Islam is a peaceful religion, so as other religions. We should be fair in what we preach and shun discrimination in whatever we are doing at home, in school, office and in thefamily this is very important.

Mumuni urged Nigerians to promote peaceful co-existence and shun violence in the society.

“Let give peace a chance because peace is the reason of life. Tolerate and appreciate one another, in whatever we are doing let’s be just among ourselves because we are different people from different background with different cultures,” she said.

Former President of Young Women Christian Association of Nigeria (YWCA) Lagos Branch, Mrs. Folashade Oyeniyi, advised Nigerians to be more tolerant and understanding with one another, saying: “There is different between talking peace and acting peace, we need to be more tolerant, understanding and do to others what we want them to do to us. Those are the things that will guarantee peace in our society” she said.

A participant, Ayodeji AbdurWaheed AbdurRauf , said the workshop is apt, coming at the right time that we are about to go to the polls.

“We need nothing but peace because the genesis of most misconduct, misdirection or disunity start in religious places,” he said.

A member of YWCA, Mrs Atinuke Oyenuga, urged Nigerian women to encourage peaceful co existence in the society.

“Except we want to deceive ourselves, women are the custodian of the home and children. Religious tolerance must be inculcated into our children’s life from the cradle. It is what they teach the children from the cradle that they actually grow up with. I am happy that women are here and hope that they will carry the message to their different domains” she said.

She urged Nigerian women to go out and perform their civic right in the coming elections.

“I will love women to go out and vote for those that will add values to human life”.

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