Remarks by Malam Nasir el-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, at the foundation laying ceremony for the permanent site of the Kaduna Centre for the Study of Christian–Muslim Relations, held in Kaduna on Wednesday, 8th December 2021

PROTOCOLS

1. I am most delighted today that a centre dedicated to promoting peace and harmony in Kaduna State through knowledge on matters religious is about to get a permanent home. The foundation laying we perform today is an acknowledgement of the unique and innovative way the founders of the Kaduna Centre for the Study of Christian–Muslim Relations are making a contribution to mutual understanding and tolerance in our state.
2. On behalf of the Kaduna State Government, I wish to pay tribute to the commitment that the founder of this Centre has demonstrated to the hard work of peace. As a senior leader of faith, the Right Reverend Dr Josiah Idowu Fearon has been consistent in the work to improve mutual understanding and respect for a common humanity. We are grateful for his leadership in the endeavour to remove the poison of ignorance that has allowed many to view their religion as license to violate the lives, liberty and livelihoods of those that worship differently.
3. As a former Archbishop of Kaduna and pioneer chairman of the Kaduna State Peace Commission, Reverend Dr. Idowu Fearon has first hand experience of the wreckage that certain interpretations and practices of religion has made of large swathes of our country, particularly the North. He has stood firmly against those who seek to perpetuate this prolonged festival of carnage and destruction.
4. The Kaduna State Government is proud to support the Kaduna Centre for the Study of Christian–Muslim Relations as a significant initiative to promote religious education and understanding. The shining light of knowledge helps advance religious tolerance and, by extension, peaceful coexistence.
5. Learning about other people’s faith provides an opportunity to understand the peculiarities in each other’s religion. It removes the fear that ignorance nurtures and eliminates the hatred that propels extremism. With knowledge, faith can then be practiced as a relationship with Almighty God that manifests in making us better persons. Education removes the temptation to construe one faith as the repudiation of the other or as an inferior way to relate to God. Education is a powerful weapon for promoting a common humanity. It helps to remind us mere mortals that the God who created us all invented diversity. Not one of us can be wiser than the Almighty. We should practise our various faiths without seeking to injure or destroy those who worship differently.
6. Kaduna State has suffered too much from religious conflicts. The need for quality religious education, understanding and spiritual guidance in these perilous times cannot be overemphasized. It is very important that we continue to support and encourage Centres like this in their effort to produce many persons that are properly educated about their own religion as well as the faith of others. This is a significant contribution to religious harmony and cultivating respect for our common humanity.
7. Once again, I wish to most humbly thank the founder, Reverend Dr. Josiah Idowu-Fearon, for his vision in starting the Centre, his outstanding work as a religious leader and his service as chairman of the Kaduna State Peace Commission. We are grateful for his initiative to convene the House of Kaduna Family as a platform to bring together the major leaders of faith in Kaduna State.
8. I invite all persons of goodwill to contribute to the completion of this Centre to enable it continue its positive mission.
9. Thank you for listening.