By: Joy Odor/Kaduna
Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) has reminded Muslims across the world to grantee equal right and freedom to Christians as it enshrined in the Charter of Medina.
They should also ensure that there are no compulsions on the Christians; no one is to destroy their place of worship, damage it or carry any property from it to the Muslims’ house, saying he will hold out against anything that displeases the Christians.
The Team Leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Dr. Shuaibu Musa gave the reminder in his speech at the joint Christmas Church Service at the Christ Evangelical Life Intercessory Ministry and, ECWA Gospel Church in celebrating Christmas festivity in Kaduna on Monday.
Dr. Musa also in the Charter mentioned that Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) instructed Muslims to fight for Christians, protect their places of workshop and should not disobey this covenant till the last day.
“Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) sent us adherents to attend churches to protect the Christians and also during Christian’s celebrations such as this.
“In the Charter of Medina, our Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) guaranteed equal rights and freedom to Christians and Jews.
“Christians are my citizens, and by God, l will hold out against anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them, neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.
“No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it or carry anything from it to the Muslims houses. The Muslims are to fight for them, their churches are to be respected and no one of the Muslims is to disobeyed this covenant till the last day.
“This is why our leader Sheikh Zakzaky feels the pains of all oppressed and wronged in whatever part of the world no matter the religion and no matter the color of their skin.
“As l mentioned earlier, both Jesus and Imara Mal di work together and if we join forces from now against tyranny and oppression, we will be laying a good foundation for the generation to come” he lamented.
The Team Leader however called on Christians to team up with the movement in the struggle against the oppression and tyrants, adding that together, they will champion unity among all religious people and take a unified stance against aggressive leaders.
Also speaking at the Church Service, Sheikh Halliru Maraya urged Christians to use the lesson learnt from Jesus Christ to live in peace and harmony with every human kind and team-up to unite the Country.
Sheikh Maraya added that “Any Muslims that do not believed in Jesus Christ is not a complete Muslims, while calling on Government at all levels to immensely allow Nigerians to practice their religious freedom like every other citizens.
While Team Leader of Muslims Youth from Katsina State, Sheikh Rabiu Abdullahi Funtuwa also stressed the need for Muslims to join the Christian in the celebration of Christmas because every Muslims believed in Jesus Christ and must join them as they are our neighbors.
Also in his remark Alaramma Abdulrahman Mohammad Bichi from Kano State observed that Muslims should joined the Christians in protecting the church against all forms of threat in uniting Nigeria, promoting peace and unity.
Responding, the General Overseer of Christ Evangelical and Life Intercessory Ministry, Pastor Yohanna Buru expressed gratitude for the astonishing turn out of Muslims including their scholars at the church for Christmas service to promote peace and unity.
Pastor Buru called on both Muslims and Christians to always promote peace building, to end all forms of ethno-religious political crisis bedeviling peace stability in the northern region of Nigeria.
“You can see that over 300 Muslims Scholars, various Muslim Youth Organization and Peace Activists from Katsina, Kano, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kaduna States assemble themselves this Afternoon to join Christians in mu church in the celebration of Christmas festivity.
“This is aimed at promoting peaceful co-existence and religious tolerance for better understanding among Nigerian to boost interfaith activities and religious tolerance.
“We must remember that we are from one family, because Adams and Eve was our original Biological father. We all have our holy scriptures “Bible and Qur’an and we also believed in paradise and hell fire therefore, we must be our brother’s keepers to live in peace and harmony” he stressed.
