No plan to Islamise or Christianise Nigeria – Sultan of Sokoto

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III,yesterday dismissed fears in some quarters of an alleged plan to turn Nigeria into an Islamic state.

The President of the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs declared that it is not possible for a multi – religious nation like Nigeria to be Islamized or Christianized.

He spoke during the commissioning of the International Centre for Inter-Faith Peace and Harmony’s office in Kaduna.

He called for harmony among Nigerian Christians and Muslims and also among the various ethnic groups warning that no country survives a religious war.

“We have seen countries where people are killing one another.Obviously, there can be no peace in such countries. Killing is not part of the teachings of the holy book,” he said.

He asked Christians and Muslims across the world to desist from making comments that some people are out to Islamize Nigeria.

He said: “Nigeria has a Muslim president and before him was a Christian president. We must see ourselves as one big family, without that, we cannot have peace.

“It is not possible to Islamize Nigeria. If God had wanted, He would have created all Christians or all Muslims.

“We are not secular but a multi-religious state because the people are so religious. We must respect one another and understand the tenets of the two religions.”

Also speaking, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna decried the successive religious and ethnic crises in the state.

He said that religion is no longer a matter of life after death but business, adding that those who run religion as business make money by promoting division.

“We must de-emphasise our differences and promote peace,” he stated.

While he stressed the importance of the centre situated in Kaduna, he assured of the state government’s commitment towards ensuring that the message of peace and inter-religious harmony is taken to a higher level.

Earlier in his remark, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), Reverend Yusuf Ibrahim Wushishi, noted that by nature, religion plays a vital role in purposeful leadership, community building, social justice, law and order, among others.

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