Faith leaders involved in Global Peace Foundation (GPF) Nigeria’s recent landmark One Family under God meeting in Kaduna State were quick to address a recent clash of violence in the neighboring Kajuru community. Reprisal attacks, a result of tensions between Nigeria’s indigenous populations and the predominantly nomadic, Muslim Fulani people, began on July 11.
Nigeria’s Mandu community show support for interfaith peacebuilding at the One Family under God campaign Peace Festival
The ongoing grassroots One Family under God campaign utilizes the cooperation of key faith leaders to promote trust and peaceful resolution across barriers of race and religion in communities across Nigeria.
Rev. John Hayab and Sheik Halliru Maraya urged the Kajuru communities to allow relevant authorities to resolve the criminal acts and not take the law into their own hands with vengeful counter-violence that often result in the loss of innocent lives and damaged property.
“What happened is a great surprise,” said the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Amos Andrew. Stressing the importance of setting the example of peaceful interfaith collaboration to the youth responsible for the reprisal attacks, Rev. Andrew stated, “We as religious leaders have related very well, we must live together and make peace.”
Although authorities have since contained the situation, setting up camps for those displaced by the violence, faith leaders in Kaduna are more determined than ever to spread the message of interfaith cooperation upheld by the One Family under God Campaign to prevent future conflict in more and more areas surrounding the communities involved in the recent peace resolution.
