The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, has called on Christians and Muslims across Nigeria to end religious insults and embrace tolerance as a means of promoting peaceful coexistence.
The Sultan made the appeal on Tuesday in Abuja while speaking at the International Conference on National Security for Socio-economic Development, organised by Jama’atu Izalatil Bidiah wa Iqamatis Sunnah (JIBWIS Nigeria) in partnership with the Muslim World League of Saudi Arabia.
“We must be honest with ourselves that Christians can stop insulting Muslims. Muslims can stop insulting Christians. And that’s how we live in peace,” he said.
Abubakar also cautioned against religious superiority, stressing that neither Christians nor Muslims should see themselves as better than members of another faith.
“We are not here to say we are better than anybody. We are not better than anybody. He [God] is the creator of us all.
He will determine who is better. And he knows how to do it. So I am not here to say I am better than anybody,” he said.
His remarks came days after Islamic cleric Yahaya Jingir claimed that Christians would see themselves as superior to Muslims if not for the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket.
Although the Sultan did not directly address Jingir’s statement, he reiterated that no faith should consider itself superior to another.
The Sultan further urged Nigerians to restore the tradition of caring for their neighbours regardless of differences in religion or ethnicity.
“Allah created your neighbour for you. Whoever is your neighbour, you know what is required of you to do for your neighbour,” he said.
He also expressed concern over the use of social media to spread false and derogatory claims about public officials.
According to him, Nigerians who deliberately circulate false information about presidents, governors, senators and other leaders will ultimately be answerable to God for their actions.
READ ALSO:
The traditional ruler also appealed to Nigerians to concentrate on addressing the nation’s challenges rather than promoting its breakup.
He recalled the actions of the late Imam Abubakar Abdullahi, who provided shelter for more than 200 Christians inside his mosque during a crisis in Plateau State, describing the gesture as an example of humanity that must not be forgotten.
Speaking at the conference, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), Cornelius Omonokhua, said humanity existed before religious identity, noting that people were created first as human beings rather than as Muslims or Christians.
Omonokhua said NIREC had continued to demonstrate that the essence of religion is mercy, adding that the collaboration between Christian and Muslim leaders was evidence that the two religions were not enemies or at war with each other.