CAN to Muslim leaders: Don’t cause religious crisis

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has cautioned Muslim leaders in the country against promoting violence and trouble unless they want to throw the nation into avoidable religious crisis.

CAN National General Secretary, Joseph Bade Daramola, in a statement, said: “All over the country, there are some actions that are being taken by some Islamic leaders who are out to provoke their Christian counterparts to anger which CAN has been working behind the scene to nip such ungodly actions in the bud.

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“For example, in Kwara State that CAN is still trying to curb the violence occasioned by the governor’s directive to mission’s schools to allow the wearing of hijab, some extremists have built Ummul Khair Central Mosque and Islamic Centre beside Catholic Bishop’s House and the Secretariat primarily to tempt peace-loving Christians into a religious crisis.

“To compound the problem, one Imam Abubakar Ali-Agan and the General Manager, Kwara State Physical Planning Authority, are claiming that there was a Memorandum of Understanding between the Catholic Bishop of Ilorin and the owners of the Ummul Khair Central Mosque before they built the two buildings.

“Whereas, it was absolute falsehood and misinformation. But if they’re certain about their claim, they should publish the said Memorandum of Understanding. It’s high time we advised some Muslim leaders in the country to stop fishing in troubled waters with a view to provoking Christians whom they share the same neighborhood with”.

He therefore urged the Kwara State Government to immediately order the relocation of the mosque and the Islamic centre to prevent crisis.

Efforts to get a reaction from the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) were not successful as its spokesperson, Ibrahim Aselemi, was not reachable on the telephone.