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Hate preaching breeds acrimony among Nigerians, cleric warns

By Shakirah Adunola
14 April 2017   |   4:15 am
Ojelade made this call during a press briefing in Lagos to usher in the 101st yearly conference of the association slated for Anwar-ul Islam Model College, Agege, from Friday, 14th to Sunday, 16th April, 2017.

A member of Awar-ul Islam Movement Of Nigeria, Alhaji Ibrahim Babatunde Jose (left); Alhaji Sarafadeen Adewale; National Secretary, Alhaji Abdulateef Jokonbe; National President, Alhaji Mubashir Ojelade, during a press briefing to usher in the 101 yearly conference of Awar-ul Islam Movement of Nigeria.

The National President, Anwar-ul Islam Movement of Nigeria, Alhajj Mubashir Adekunle Ojelade, has enjoined religious leaders and clerics across board to desist from hate preaching. This according to him has wreaked much havoc on the society by turning citizens against themselves.

Ojelade made this call during a press briefing in Lagos to usher in the 101st yearly conference of the association slated for Anwar-ul Islam Model College, Agege, from Friday, 14th to Sunday, 16th April, 2017.

The Anwar-ul Islam Movement of Nigeria formerly Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam was founded in Lagos in 1916 and duly incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, LFN.

Ojelade said: “Those who preach hatred and violence in religion are doing their own work not the work of God. Insurgency is an anathema to Islam as such Boko Haram and others who pretend to advance Islam through violence or compulsion are on their own and do not act for or represent Muslims.

“Anybody or group who commits a crime or precipitates violence under the guise of religion should be dealt with under the laws of the land. Our challenges in Nigeria is that religious leaders have not been as mature and circumspect as they ought to be in reacting to religious issues by making uncomplimentary and inciting speeches which can only compound issues to serve as inspiration for further violence. The unholy activities of terrorists and insurgents who use Islam as motivation for violence is giving the religion a wrong and unfortunate label,” he said.

However, he urged the Federal Government to take urgent steps to curb ethno-religious clashes and killing across the country. “A proactive multi dimensional and multi- disciplinary approach that will involve security agencies, the legislature, the judiciary and community leaders must be adopted to enable the government to deal with and manage such crisis effectively,” he advised.

The president of the movement condemned in strong terms the unending clashes and bloodletting in Southern Kaduna and urged the Federal Government and Kaduna State Government to intensify actions that will bring lasting solution to the crisis.

In order to reduce the perennial clashes between killer herdsman as opposed to Fulani herdsman and farmer in different parts of the country, he said government should consider the suggestion for the establishment of permanent grazing areas in the country to be occupied by herdsmen and cattle rustlers. He added that herdsmen who kill innocent citizens should be treated as criminals and punished appropriately under the law of the land.

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