By maryam Diallo
In celebration of the 2023 Scottish Interfaith Harmony Week, a dedicated peace activist in Nigeria has undertaken a comprehensive initiative to raise awareness among thousands of students, street youths, market unions, women’s organizations, and persons with disabilities.
The goal is to promote values of peace, tolerance, forgiveness, and prayers throughout the week dedicated to harmony.
Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani, a prominent female peace activist from Kaduna State in Northwestern Nigeria, shared that her purposeful visit involved organizing a reading competition. This competition not only encourages students to invest more time in their studies but also imparts lessons in peace education drawn from their respective holy books.
The outreach efforts extended to schools, communities, and marginalized areas, where religious leaders engaged in meaningful dialogue and interactions with students, women, and youths.
Scottish Interfaith Week 2023 which take place from 12 – 19 November
According to her,the Primary aim of organizing reading and writting among among students was to educate them about the significance of Interfaith Week and the broader concept of harmony.
Tijjani stressed that this grassroots campaign plays a pivotal role in mitigating ethno-religious, political, banditry, extremism, and kidnapping activities that adversely affect peace, stability, education, economy, health, and tourism in the northern region.
“We chose to broaden our outreach to schools and engage with community youth leaders to propagate the message of peace, tolerance, and the importance of forgiveness. Empowering them with religious studies serves as a deterrent against negative behaviors and other societal challenges,” Tijjani explained.
The Interfaith Week, according to Tijjani, serves as a unique opportunity for Christians, Muslims, and other religious and traditional leaders to convene, interact, and deliberate on matters related to religious tolerance, enhanced understanding, peace-building, and equipping communities with diverse skills to resist violent extremism, gangsterism, cultism, and other unlawful activities that threaten peace stability.
During visits to schools, Tijjani and her team organized engaging reading and writing competitions, aiming to instill a commitment to studying religious texts. The initiative not only strengthens Christian-Muslim relationships based on the teachings of the Holy Books but also emphasizes the principles of fostering peace and unity among all individuals, regardless of tribe, religion, ethnicity, region, or color.
In a bid to foster genuine reconciliation and address ethno-religious-political crises impacting peace and stability, Tijjani detailed plans for “endurance trek and football match competitions” among different communities. This initiative seeks to bridge existing gaps between Muslim and Christian communities within the state.
Leveraging various communication platforms, including radio, television, newspapers, and social media, the team intends to mobilize additional Christian-Muslim scholars during the United Nations-designated week. The objective is to enlighten diverse faith-based organizations on the imperative need to sustain peace, love, unity, and forgiveness.
“As we embrace this week, our focus is on disseminating the message of peace, love, and forgiveness,” Tijjani emphasized.
In response, Mr. Nurudden Bello, the school director, underscored the pivotal role of peace in society and called for collective support for both state and federal governments in providing an enabling environment for student education.
He expressed gratitude to the visitors while urging other peace-oriented NGOs and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to join this impactful campaign. Their collective effort aims to sensitize millions of youths and women on effective ways to halt vengeance attacks and address prevailing insecurities.
