Emir of Kano Sanusi canvases inter- religious dialogue to curb conflict

The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, has canvassed national interfaith dialogue to curb religious conflict.He made the appeal at the Bayero University, Kano during the inauguration of Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue (CICID).

The former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said the mutual exchange of teaching and sharing of knowledge from the Holy Books would check the needless inter-faith and intra-faith killings in the country.The monarch recalled the mutual relationship between Muslim and Christian scholars in Asia countries, and expressed concern at the killings in the name of religious belief.

He said: “During the then dynasty of Othman caliphate for instance, Muslim and Christian clerics came together at his palace to discuss and reason together in harmony. “They opened issues on religion and even debated, while sharing the tenets and principles of their faith. This did not in any manner generate conflict.

“But today in Nigeria, you hear some people in the name of religion, killing one another. We have cases of Muslims killing Christians, and Christians killing Muslims. In fact, we have also seen Muslims killing fellow Muslims in this country.” He explained that anybody who kills in the name of religion is ignorant of his religion, because no religion would ask you to kill a fellow human being.

Sanusi criticised the low patronage of western education in the northern part of the country.He challenged the authorities of Bayero University to spearhead the process of domesticating courses in science and engineering into Hausa language.

This, he noted, would engender the interest of Hausa speakers.He equally tasked scholars in the north to, a mater of urgency; translate science, engineering and other related books written in English into Hausa language.

“We have our children who are well grounded in Islamic studies who memmorise the Quran, and still they say they are not educated simply because of English, that is wrong,” he added.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Mohammad Ya’uza Bello, hinted that the centre was conceived to broaden knowledge and research on Islamic civilisation. He added that it would also serve as a veritable medium for religious dialogue.