Nigerian Muslim Woman Activist Shared Chickens With Christian Widows And Orphans For Easter

By Ibrahima Yakubu

Ramatu , a peace builder and interfaith promoter in Nigeria , said as Christians world-wide are ending  the  40 days fasting and prayers ,there  was the need to support the widows to enable them celebrate the Easter  like any other Christian around the world. 

She observed that due to hardship and economic recession , not all widows would be able  to feed  or  make their children happy during the season.

Ramatu explained that she started the gesture from the Church of Christ Evangelical and Life Intervention Ministry Sabon Tasha,  Kaduna South, simply because of her  rapport and friendship with  members of the church.

She added  that the gesture would be extended  to other neighbouring  churches in Kaduna north,  with the aim  at promoting peace and unity as well as spreading the messages of interfaith among the two religious followers.

“There is joy in giving out to the needy ,as givers never lack, because Gift-giving is one of the good manners that maintains and strengthens relations between the giver and the receiver”.

Last year during the 6 weeks Lenten period, Ramatu said , she bailed out 10 Christians youth in Kaduna Convict Prison, so as to enable them go back home and do their fasting along  with families and other relatives  just  like  other Christians around the world.

 According to her, this is a method of promoting peace building, inter-religious tolerance and better understanding among different faith base organizations  in Nigeria.

”We are worshipping One God Allah, and both muslims and Christians are from one Family(brothers and sister), and both have their holy Books which are Bibles and Qur’an, both believe in paradise and hell, so therefore we are all one family under One God.

“Christians are my brothers and sisters and as a Muslim I love visiting them, because both religions preach peace, tolerance and harmony. attending the church service doesn’t make me become a Christian. As a Muslim I have several Bibles at home and I read them to enable ome know how to relate with my brothers and sisters that are Christians.”Ramatu emphasized.

She noted that the impact of the previous  ethno religious and political crises in Kaduna state that claimed hundreds of lives and properties was a serious setback to peaceful co-existence in Kaduna and northern Nigeria at large, hence the need for clerics from both religions to preach sermons that foster unity and peaceful co-existence.

While wishing Christians  a peaceful and happy Easter celebration, Ramatu called  on wealthy individuals to  assist widows and orphans ,in order to celebrate the season with joy.

”Lets be our brothers’ keepers, lets unite Nigerian,and lets join hands in helping our brothers and sisters toward making Nigeria a better place.

“My joy is to see every woman happily celebrating with her children”

The Peace Ambassador said she  was going to cook and distribute  to some Christian  inmates who are being rehabilitated at Mallam Nigger house,so that they too could share the joy of Easter.

Ramiatu called on  the Federal and State governments to provide adequate security in all the 36 states during and after the Easter period,in order to avert any form of security threat

Receiving the Gift, the General Overseer of Christ Evangelical Intercessory Fellowship Ministry, Pastor Yohanna Buru, thanked Hajiya Tijjani for the gesture and urged other Nigerians to learn  to tolerate, accommodate and live in peace with one another irrespective of religious background.

Pastor Buru also called on all Nigerians  to shun  issues that could possibly lead  to ethno-religious and political crisis.

The clergyman stressed that it is time all preachers redouble their efforts in teaching their followers the right ways and imbibe  the teachings of the holy books so as to end the activities of extremists and terrorists hiding under religion.

“The Muslims are our brothers and neighbours not enemies; we must join hands together to live in peace, and harmony because we all have Holy books (Qur’an and Bible) that teach us love and peace.”