By Luminous Jannamike
The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, His Grace Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, yesterday, urged leaders in the country to be discerning about the sentiments that polarise the country in order to address the current unhealthy relationship among religious groups in Nigeria.
Kaigama made the call in his Palm Sunday homily delivered at the Holy Trinity Church, Maitama, Abuja.
Religious tension is currently building in Kwara State over the state government’s controversial approval of hijab wearing in Christian mission schools.
Also, in Kano State, the officials of Hisbah recently invaded some off-campus hostels of Bayero University, arresting students of the opposite sex who were found in the same room after banning stylish haircuts and the public use of images considered to be obscene and against the tenets of Islam.
But Kaigama said all those concerned needed to put away finger-pointing and embrace tolerance, so as to see the good in others.
Warning against any religious group lording it over others, Kaigama said: “Leaders in Nigeria must be discerning about negative religious sentiments that lead to hostility and polarization. We seem to dwell more on the externals of religion and issues that heighten unnecessary competition and tension.
“Many believers from our religious traditions can qualify like the Pharisee in Luke 18:11-12 who prayed, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers… I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income….”
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“We spend billions of Naira on pilgrimages and the construction of places of worship in prime areas, but worry very little about what fosters peace and harmony. We seem to be always finger-pointing, intolerant, insensitive and too short-sighted to see the good in the others.
“Our religious pettiness culminating in needless quarrels and tensions is sometimes spearheaded surprisingly by intelligent and well exposed Nigerians, and even some leaders in government.
“Rather than building a ‘paradise’ called Nigeria, we argue more about religious superiority and do very little about improving social infrastructure, quality of education, healthcare, etc.”
According to him, some religious leaders complicate issues by their unhelpful statements which polarise and antagonise.
“We seem to forget that the hood does not make the monk, neither does the garb make the imam. It is such a pity that we have become so religiously hypersensitive that we often turn political, social and justice issues into a competition about religious domination,” Kaigama stressed.
While drawing lessons for Nigerian leaders from Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), the Archbishop noted that the same crowd that sang ‘hosanna’ for Jesus later shouted ‘crucify him’.
He said: “There should be a lesson for some leaders, who promote political, religious and ethnic violence, that the behaviour of thugs they use is unpredictable.
“Today, they are with you, but when economic conditions or political loyalty change, they can turn against you and violently too.
“Please, pray that Nigerians will learn the disposition of humility, the self giving and unconditional love of Jesus, so that we can witness more peace and progress in our beloved country, waiting to lead the world, someday, somehow.”
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