By Ibrahim Usman
Like their counterparts in other parts of the world who pay their respect
to the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (saw), Imam Hussain (as) in the holy city
of Karbala, Nigerian Christians have also participated during the Arba’een
symbolic trek as a mark of honour and solidarity with Imam Husain and the path
he threaded.
Some Pastors from different
church denomination from Kaduna have joined the trek, led by Pastor Yohanna
Buru of the Evangelical Church and head of the Peace Revival and Reconciliation
organization, and NGO.
“Why should I not trek in
solidarity with the cause of Imam Husain, when is a struggle for justice and I
as a Christian proclaim to champion the cause for justice, unity and religious
tolerance? I should be hypocritical if don’t do that. We also want to
experience the suffering of the handful of the Ahlul Bayt after the killing of
Imam Husain in Karbala”, Pastor Buru stated.
Also commenting, Pastor
Maxwell Sanda said, for genuine religious unity and tolerance we come to join
the trek. We feel that unity should be pursued through physical participation
in each other’s belief to a certain level”.
There were report of
Christians’ participation from Katsina, while some of them accommodated the
trekkers in their homes, with excellent hospitality as their contribution to
the trek. One Christian lady was reported to have confessed that, with the
commitment demonstrated by the trekkers she believed it was God at work to send
down divine message for the salvation of humanity.
Leader of the Islamic Movement
in Nigeria, His Eminence Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky had earlier commended effort
of Pastor Yohanna Buru whom he said had set a good example in the cause of
genuine religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence.
“The effort will pull away the
imaginary boundary created, through false narrations of each other’s beliefs”,
said Sheikh Zakzaky.
Nigerian Christians
participate in other events conducted by the Islamic Movement in Nigeria such
Ashura Maulud, etc.
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