As part of effort of strengthening Good relationship, boost peaceful co-existance and religious tolerance among different faith base organization in Nigeria, A Muslim woman, by the name Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani, has donated new wrappers and other food items in a large quantity to Christian widows for Christmas celebration at the church of Christ Evangelical and life intervention Ministry, Sabon Tasha Kaduna state .
According to her, more wrappers and foodstuff will also be shared to other churches in kaduna and other neighboring states.
She said the gesture is her own effort which is aimed at strengthen peaceful co-existence among different faiths based organization in the country, and also to boost religion tolerance, forgiveness, love and better understanding among muslims and Christians , so as to shun all forms of ethno-religious, political crises bedeviling peace stability in the northern region of Nigeria.
She said the reason for this is to support the Christian widows in other to celebrate the seasons with joy and happiniess with their orphans with enough food and news clothes like any other Christians world-wide
Ramatu said, “Christmas provides an opportunity for Muslims to demonstrate to their Christian neighbours that Islam is a faith of peace and love and that is why I want to see widows, orphans and elderly person at yuletide season smiling and enjoying themselves like any other christian family during a season like this.”
The peace ambassador from Northern Nigeria said she is supporting only Christian widows with new wrappers and foodstuffs to reduce the hardship most widows face in the communities during a season like this ,so as to make them happy.
She said,she is targeting over 200 poor Christian widows across kaduna and some northern states including Those at the Internally displaced persons “IDP camps” at North –eastern Nigeria and less-privileged in the society ,so as to immensely support them with foods and new wrappers for the Christmas,in other to see them celebrating the season with joy and happiniess like any other Christian family across the planet
“I enjoyed helping widows and elderly person with their children at all times and it is my hope to see other people emulating me in helping the poor and other needy person as season like this approach.
“That is the reason for donating this foodstuff to Christian family only, in other to use it for Christmas and New Year celebrating in peace and happiness.”
Ramatu who is also peace mediator from the region further added that living in peaceful co-existance between muslims and Christians is the foundation for sustainable development and that would move the country a-head.
“we must remembered that We are created by One GOD,and we all are from One root “ADAMs and EVE”,we all have holy books created by One God,we are brothers and sisters,we believed in paradise and hell,then we must support each other to live in peace and harmony.”
She said “I wish I have enough money, I would have bailed over Hundreds of Christian inmates to go home and celebrate Christmas with their friends, relatives and families like what Pastor Yohanna usually do at the beginning of every Ramadan, freeing Muslims prisoners for Ramadan sake, so as to promote peace and unity among different religious bodies in the country.
She said,last year she was at Christian association of Nigeria head quarter C.A.N – kaduna,in other to wishes christian world wide merry Christmas,she is also hoping to visit them again and donate another Christmas tress to the C.A.N, so as to strengthening peace and unity between muslims and Christians.
While stressing the importance of tolerance,she then called on federal Government to create an institutes of comparatives studies in the country,which according to her it would help in promoting interreligious dialoque and better understanding on the best ways of uniting the people through the teachings of the holy books.
She note that the creation of comparative studies centre will surely put an end to all the ethno-religious crisis that is setting the entire northern Nigeria backward.
She said communities and their leader,traditional and religious bodies must work together to established context-relevant peace infrastructure and conduct regular and periodic review of early warning information to strengthen their capacity for peaceful co-existence.
Additionally,she pointed out that irrespective of whether a community is multi-ethnic and multi-religious or it is homogenous, it can achieve peaceful co-existence through a conscious process of social and community engineering using the principles of justice,equity and socio-political and economic inclusion for all.
While commending the effort of Observatoire pharos in France for helping African in promoting peace mission,she also appreciate the effort of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung from Germany and United state institute of peace for promoting religious tolerance in Africa.
She ended by quoting what mother Terase usually said” “Peace begins with a smile” so on my part as peace ambassador, am at the church today to put smile to the faces of all Christian widows and orphans during the Christmas season.
Responding the general over seer of the church pastor Yohanna Buru expressed satisfaction and called on wealthy individuals ,corporate bodies ,Government, NGOs and CSO to always remembered helping the widows and other needy in the society , so as to reduce the pains they usually under-go in the search of food for feeding their orphans.
Buru said, last 2 years hajiya Ramatu Tijjani has distributed many foodstuff to the church widows for the Christmas, and indeed earlier this year during Lenten season, she brought cartoon of beverages and other food items for breaking the fast.
While calling on Kaduna philanthropist to stop extravagant waste of money and always remembered the needy ,so that they can get plenty blessing from the Almighty.
He concluded by calling on Muslims and Christians to always live together in peace and harmony.while appealing to Marketers regardless of youth religion to upper Christmas bonanza what developed countries do usually do to their citizens.
