A personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr Abubakar Bako, has urged Nigerians to explore the peace building potentials of religion to promote genuine love and concern for one another.
Bako made the appeal at the launching of his book, “The Content not the Container”, held in Kaduna on Tuesday.
He said that Nigerians should be
“thoughtful enough to explore the peace building potentials of religion in building a veritable social system that is deeply rooted in love and genuine concern for one another”.
Bako said the aim of the book was to promote peaceful coexistence in the country and ensure constructive inter-religious dialogue.
This he said was necessary to ensure enduring mutual understanding among the adherents of diverse religion, especially Christianity and Islam.
“The book seeks to enkindle hope that a true peaceful northern Nigeria is practically possible if we eschew all forms religious prejudice and practice the virtue of tolerance, love and sincere neighborliness as enshrined in both Bible and Qur’an.
“In the whole, our diversity only reflects the peculiar nature and majestic beauty of God and therefore should not be a cause of conflict rather a source of supernatural upliftment,” he added.
The author who is a Chief
Superintendent of the NSCDC, currently heads the Joint Intelligence Fusion Centre, Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe Headquarters in Bayelsa.
The book reviewer, Dr Yusuf Usman of the Department Security Studies, Greenfield University Kaduna, commended the author and stressed that no religion allows killing in the name of God.
“Humans are cherished creators of God,” he said, adding however that the elites have been hoodwinking the people and using religion for their selfish interest.
“We all know that as common men, we do not have problem with each other, we understood ourselves, if anything should binds us together, it is definitely poverty, struggles, there is no issue of religion.
“Unfortunately, because of the interest of the elites to perpetuate and achieve their selfish aims, religion became the instrument they mostly use to achieve their desires,” Usman said.
He said that the book would contribute greatly to knowledge and the understanding of the misuse of religion in Nigeria.
“As an academic, contribution to knowledge is very important, one of the main issue the book discussed is the understanding of the misconception of religion and how the elite are using it to achieve selfish goals,” he said.
He explained that in the book, the author highlighted the issue of fanaticism and how to address it.
In a message to the event, Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State said the book would be impactful with time, especially on the youth who have been brainwashed.
The governor, represented by Hajiya Rabi’ah Ibrahim, Deputy Director Islamic Matters, Bureau of Interfaith, said no religion sanctions killing without
recourse to the law.
“Religion encourages humanity, as humans we are not allowed to kill each other,” he added.
NAN
