UN Day for victims of religious violence: Interfaith forum calls for prompt prosecution of violence perpetrators

The Co-Secretary of IDFP, Ibrahim Yahya, made the call while donating relive materials at two Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps on Thursday in Abuja.

 The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the materials were donated at Malaysia Garden IDPs Camp-Apo, and New Chuchigoro Games Village Camp, Abuja.

Following an unprecedented rise of violence against religious communities and people belonging to religious minorities in recent years, UN General Assembly in 2018 adopted a resolution proclaiming August 22 to commemorate the victims of violence based on region or belief.

While speaking at the Malaysia garden, Yahaya said that the donation was part of the forum’s two week activities to make “UN  International Day for victims of violence based on religion and other believes.’’

He said that the gesture for the maiden celebration of the UN Day was necessary to amplify the need for response to the plight of the victims who were often forgotten.

The IDFP Co-Secretary called on government and Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) for urgent response to the plight of IDPs for rehabilitation and resettlement.

“The IDFP stands in solidarity with all victims of violence especially those perpetrated in the name of religion and encourages all religious adherent to seek the truth, peace and justice as enshrined in the teachings of the Holy Books

“The IDPS reiterates the importance of living in peace and shared humanity by seeking non-violence means of resolving conflicts.

“IDFP also wishes to encourage all religious adherents to respect the rule of law and fundamental rights to freedom of worship and religious participation,’’ Yahaya said.

Calling for love and tolerance among Nigerians, he assured the displaced persons that IDFP was working with other like-minded humanitarian organisations to prevent re-occurrence of religion based violence in Nigeria.

“ The root cause of this violence we believe is lack of mutual love, lack of mutual compassion and lack of mutual understanding.

“IDFP is fighting tooth and nail to ensure that we are able to engender peace and peaceful co-existence in our societies.’’

The Co-Chairman, Central Coordinator, IDFP, Mohammed Jameel, said the essence of the donation was to commensurate with the IDPs.

“We have come to commiserate, empathise with them and to show them that we are with them and that we are craving for peace in this country and we will continue to support them,’’ Jameel said.

He called on religion leaders to always preach and do the right thing in order to promote peace.

 Mohammed Joshua, the other Co-Secretary of IDFP urged religious leaders  to continue to assistance and provide relive materials to victims of crisis with the belive that such would not necessarily make them to change religion.

Joshua said that would rather make them to know that God is in every situation adding that it would also help to douse the tension in their hearts.

Materials donated include, some bags of rice and maize, cartoon of noodles, toiletries, provision and soft drinks and bottle waters.

 Chakule Lawal, Chairman of IDP Camps, Malaysia Garden, Apo, receiving the items commended the forum for donation, saying it was gladden to see both Christian and Islamic coming together to see to the problem of displaced person.

“We are very happy, we are grateful and we pray that very soon the issue of violence and insecurity in the country would be a thing of the past.’’

Lawal, while they appreciated the donated items, their wish was to return to their home land, saying there is no place like home.

“If government can return us to our village it will be better for us than to be here without our children going to schools.

IDFP is a national interfaith and intercultural dialogue platform through founding and facilitation of the King Abdullah Bin Abdullaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) Vienna Austria.

IDFP main objective is to bring together the adherents of different faiths in Nigeria using dialogue to promote peaceful co-existence in Nigeria.