The notice given by the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to hold a nationwide three hour prayer session for the abducted school girls today from 11.00 am – 2.00 pm is a positive step in the right direction. This is a welcome departure from the position of northern CAN that had earlier posed some questions, trying to bring in religious sentiments into an intricate issue. To any sane person, these abductions are totally inhuman, primitive, callous, barbaric and condemnable in any sense of purpose talk less of the Christian or Islamic viewpoints.
Interestingly, prayers for the rescue of the abducted girls, return of peace and end to this insurgency have been going on daily in mosques in Nigeria during the five daily prayers. This is an issue that has brought about the unity of purpose of the entire people of Nigeria.
The #bringbackourgirls global campaign has gathered momentum such that no Muslim or Christian is left out. Take a look at the rallies all over the country from the federal capital to the states; it is all a mixture of people from all walks of life.
In Osun state the state government called for a three days’ prayer and fasting from both Muslims and Christians for divine intervention on the rescue of the abducted Chibok girls.
Two days ago, there was a picture in the dailies of FOMWAN members reading the Holy Quran and praying fervently to God for the release of the girls and for an end to the insurgency.
The truth of the matter is that the whole world is united over this senseless and un-Godly act which needs the support and prayers of every right thinking person of which ever faith he belonged. This is in addition to the fact that these two religious do not in any way promote the shedding of blood of any person or his abduction.
By the time we overcome this, hopefully we will as a nation begin to look at “development” from the human perspective and no more on regional or ethical sentiments. For when there is physical development in terms of roads, health care, education and agriculture, all this ethnic vocabularies will cease to exist. God have mercy on us and bless us with good leaders.
Ahmed Balarabe Hamzah,
Katsina,
