The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has warned against growing religious intolerance, hate speech and fake news in Nigeria, saying they threaten the country’s unity and social cohesion.
The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of NSCIA, His Eminence Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar IIIhe stated when receiving the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, at the National Mosque of Abuja.
The religious leader, who spoke through the Deputy Secretary-General of the NSCIA, Professor Salisu Shehu, said the essence of the visit was to promote mutual understanding and the need for cooperation among religious and faith communities to promote peace and peaceful coexistence, as well as work towards maintaining and improving the security situation not only in Nigeria but around the world.
Professor Shehu said: “This is a meeting in which His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs of Nigeria, received Archbishop Gallagher, who is an important and key personality of the Vatican. He heads the office that coordinates diplomatic relations and international ties in the Vatican. He came with an entourage that included visitors to the Vatican as well as leaders of the Catholic community in Nigeria.
“His Eminence warmly welcomed the visitor and commended the Catholic community, especially in Nigeria, for being very cooperative and highly committed to peaceful coexistence in the country. He also acknowledged their willingness to work together with him through various interfaith organizations and activities to ensure that peace and security are promoted in Nigeria.
“One of the main issues discussed was the need to combat hate speech because, to a large extent, hate speech has been very detrimental to peaceful coexistence in the country. It has created what could be described as a crisis of perception and relations among religious communities in Nigeria.”
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He added: “Therefore, there was a strong call for all religious and faith communities to work together to combat hate speech, especially the growing and unfortunate phenomenon whereby some people openly insult religious leaders who are highly respected within their various faith communities. There was also a call to control such behavior and ensure that people refrain from insulting not only important religious figures but even ordinary people, who equally deserve respect. Another topic discussed was the need to fight against fake news. Fake news They are another evil that is used to precipitate many problems in the world and, therefore, it is something that we must face collectively.
“There was also a discussion on the need to address the general moral perversion dominating the world today. We are witnessing great moral degeneration and perversion globally, and it is the duty of religious leaders and religious workers to ensure that these challenges are faced. Finally, there was a discussion on the need to fight against atheism, the growing rejection of God among young people, both within the Muslim and Christian communities.”
Archbishop Gallagher, in his remarks, charged religious leaders to work together in the interest of Nigeria and its citizens, expressing optimism about religious cohesion in the country.
He said: “The visit has been very, very good. I was delighted to be invited by His Eminence, the Sultan. We had a very frank and enlightening conversation, ‘enlightening’ is the word he used, and it was good to hear that many of our positions regarding the role of religious leaders, both on the Catholic side and the Muslim side, coincide.
“For me, this is cause for optimism regarding the religious cohesion of the country and our shared commitment to working for the good of all Nigerians. The observation is that there is a common vision and a common conviction that Christians and Muslims, particularly their leaders, must work together for the common good of all Nigerians.”
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