RELIGIOUS PLURALISM IN AFRICA
Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua
If God wanted a world with one language, one religion and one culture, it would have been possible for him to do. The differences in the world are of degree and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything. Many human beings believe in a divine transcendence. Many religions in the world affirm a belief in one God even though the concept and mode of operation of the transcendence may vary according to people’s orientation in life. It is obvious that many people found themselves in the culture and religion that they confess and profess the divine and reality. There are so many religions in the world but they do not all exist in Africa. Nevertheless, we may attempt the groupings of religion into Abrahamic, Indian, Iranian, East Asian and Indigenous traditional religions. These religions believe in God but their approach is not the same. We may not however go into an indebt study of these religions. It is enough that we mention a few to elucidate the need co-exist in a world of pluralistic religions and cultures.
1.7.New age, esotericism, mysticism
1.8There are classical world religions that are often described for historical reasons but the "World's Major Religions" that are functionally-oriented, yet still strongly classical are:
God created human beings in love and commands human beings to love one another. It is sad that we now find ourselves in a world where the value and dignity of the human person no longer count. It has become easier to kill a human being than to kill a mosquito. Millions of people have lost their lives in various religious and ethnic conflicts in Africa. Those who are born into this situation would see as normal, a world where human beings live as wolves to their fellow human beings. Given that the state of anarchy we now find ourselves is not the design of God, we need to establish the value and dignity of the human person. Dialogue is an activity of human beings who are born into a society. No person can profess faith outside the community of human beings. Many adherents profess faith in one God in the midst of many religions. Inter-faith dialogue already presupposes Religious pluralism in a multicultural society.
On the value and dignity of the human person, the Catholic Catechism gives the mission and vision of life first by establishing the fact that we are created by God. The reason God created the human person defines his mission. God made us to know him, love him and serve him. The goal and ultimate vision for creation is that the human person should be happy with God on the last day.
In the narrative of Adam (humanity) in the Holy Bible and Quran, Man has a higher dignity than the angels whom God commanded to bow to Adam. To promote peaceful co-existence, the knowledge that our common factor is humanity is imperative. Many of us belong to a particular religion not by choice. Some of us who are Christians today could have been Muslims if we were born to Muslims parents and some Muslims could have been Christians if they were born to Christian parents. We did not choose our parents, tribe, state and country. This is why the most stupid venture of the human person is religious and ethnic violence. The sky is wide enough for every bird to fly. Both Christianity and Islam profess that there is no compulsion in religion. This is why we must quest for justice and good governance in every aspect of life.
The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council made a declaration on religious liberty because the root to interreligious conflict is religious intolerance that robs free citizens of religious freedom. The document on the dignity of the human person is a call to bring the human person back to the consciousness and awareness of the right of the person and communities to social and civil liberty in religious matters. The Second Vatican Council, in the light of revelation states the general principles of religious freedom that “All men are bound to seek the truth, especially in what concerns God and his Church, and embrace it and hold on to it as they come to know it.” “The human person has a right to religious freedom. All men should be immune from coercion on the part of individuals, social groups and every human power so that, within due limits, nobody is forced to act against his convictions in religious matters in private or in public, alone or in association with others.” “Religious communities also have the right not to be hindered by legislation or administrative action on the part of the civil authority in the selection, training, appointment and transfer of their own ministers, in communicating with religious authorities and communities in other parts of the world, in erecting buildings for religious purposes, and in the acquisition and use of the property they need.
Peace is a virtue that is deeply entrenched in Christianity and Islam. Justice is a very powerful ingredient for peaceful co-existence hence the Christian and Muslim must demand justice at all levels especially freedom of religion and promotion of human dignity through dialogue. To promote the dignity of life, we need dialogue at all levels through the forms of dialogue. In intra-personal dialogue, a person encounters himself or herself interiorly. Through intra-personal dialogue, you ask yourself, who am I? Where am I coming from? Where am I going? What does God want me to do in life to be happy? In inter-personal dialogue, you could ask yourself: “what do I owe my neighbour? What must I do to make him happy? This is dialogue with the other person. It is a “conversation between two or more persons especially of a formal or imaginary nature; an exchange of views in the hope of ultimately reaching agreement.” Inter-personal dialogue helps people to resolve long-standing conflicts and to build deeper understanding of contentious issues. It is not about judging, weighing, or making decisions, but about understanding and learning. Dialogue dispels stereotypes, builds trust, and enables people to be open to perspectives that are very different from their own. Dialogue is one sure way to heal memories and wounded hearts.
Other types of dialogue are Intra-community, Inter-community, Intra-ethnic, Inter-ethnic, Intra-cultural, Inter-cultural, Intra-religious and Inter-religious. In dialogue, understanding is the key word. Nigerians have gone through many faces of violence, slavery, colonialism, prejudice, preconception and mutual suspicions. These, call for education, debriefing, healing of memory, mental reconstruction, reconciliation and compassion. No one should really claim the right to reject another person or attempt to kill a person for holding a different opinion. While we think, we should let others think their own way. Everybody have the right to think differently. Inter-religious dialogue is a dialogue between human beings before being a dialogue between religions. It is an encounter between human beings in order to share with one another, things that concern them intimately as human persons in their relationship with God, with the world, and with one another.
Dialogue of Life is what we do in ordinary events of life.Muslims, Christians and traditional worshippers in Nigeria live in the same family, attend the same school and work together in the same office and other places of work. These are avenues and occasion for people to share life together in love and peaceful coexistence. In the Dialogue of Social Engagements, People of different religions meet in different life situations, like ceremonies, trade and even join together to fight injustice and diseases. This collaboration between Christians and people of other religions promote the integral development and liberation of people. In Nigeria some Muslims and Christians have issued joint statements to condemn terrorism and other forms of social ills. In the Dialogue of Theological Exchange, scholars of different religions organize seminars and workshops to discuss theological issues. This has led some scholars to go beyond the study of their theology to the study of the theology of other religious. In the Dialogue of religious experience, people of different religions sometimes use any given opportunity to share their religious experiences and dreams. This sharing of testimonies and narration of what God has done in their individual life has led others to be converted interiorly.
I would love to reflect on the basis of inter-religious dialogue using Christianity and Islam as our case study because Christianity and Islam are more prominent in Africa which is the context of this study. The Jews, Christians and Muslims lay claim to Abraham as a common father. Today Abraham is regarded as the father of faith both for the Christians and the Muslims. Like the Jews, Arabs regard themselves as a Semitic people. Some Christian and Muslim scholars trace the descendants of Shem to Abraham. Their claim is based on the submission of Abraham in the supreme test, the attempted sacrifice of his son described in the Qur’an by the verb salaamthat appears to have provided Islam with its name “peace and salutation to Abraham!” (Qur’an, Suratul Sâffât 109). The whole of Al Sâffât 99-111 is on the sacrifice of a son by Abraham.
Some other scholars claim that before the birth of Isaac, Abraham married Hagar an Egyptian girl who gave birth to Ishmael (Genesis 16). Later Sarah gave birth to Isaac. (Genesis 21:1-7). At the order of Sarah, Abraham sent away Hagar and her son Ishmael. The Bible says that Hagar wandered off into the wilderness of Beersheba (Genesis 21:15). “God was with the boy. He grew up and made his home in the wilderness, and he became a bowman.” (Genesis 21:20). But the Qu'ran says that Ismâ'il went to Mecca. His descendants grew up in Arabia as Muslims whereas those of Isaac, who remained in Palestine, are Jews. The Quranic sources on Ismâ'il are cited in (SuratulBaqarah 125-129, Suratul An' am 86, Suratul Maryam 54-55 and Suratul Anbiyâ 85.
Can we conclude from the above analysis that the Christians and the Muslims have the same father but different mothers, that is to say, having Sarah as the mother of the Jews and Hagar as the mother of the Arabs? If the Christians and Muslims really have a common origin, it means that they have every reason to dialogue in love and live together in peace and unity as a family. The contrary will make Abraham sad and weep in heaven. This belief in the one family of Abraham must have enabled the Abyssinian Monks and the Christians welcomed, accommodated and protected Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his followers.
It is a historical record that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) encountered the Abyssinian and Nestorian monks. This encounter must have given rise to some dialogue of life and dialogue of theological exchange. In the introduction to the Holy Qur'an C.23, Abdullah Yusuf 'Ali says: When he went in a trade caravan with Abu Talib to Syria, his tender soul marked inwardly how Allah did speak in the wide expanse of deserts.... Commenting on this Abdullah says that it was on such visits that he met and conversed with Nestorian Christian monks like Bahirah who were quick to recognize his spiritual worth. (The Holy Qur’an, Page 7, foot note). The Holy Prophet while on a caravan trip with Khadija also encountered the Abyssinian monks who were very hospitable to them.
After the reception of the first message “Iqra” (Cf. Al 'Alaq 96) he confided in Khadija. She went and consulted her cousin Waraqah, a devout worshipper of Allah in the faith of Christ. Learned in spiritual lore, he listened and with her rejoiced that he Muhammad was Allah's chosen one to renew the faith. (C.32, Page 10). The Holy Qur'an therefore provides room for inter-religious and inter-faith dialogue in the promotion of human value and peaceful co-existence. According to the Qur’an, “Those who believe (in the Qur’an) and those who follow the Jewish scriptures and the Christians and the Sebians; Any who believe Allah and the last day and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve” (Al Baqarah 2:62).
Who exactly were the Abyssinian and Nestorian Monks? These monks unfortunately did not believe in the true teaching of the Church as regards the true nature of Jesus Christ and the Blessed Trinity. The Abyssinian and Nestorian monks believed in Monophysitism, a Greek word meaning belief in one nature. Itwas a heresy of the 5th and 6th century, which grew out of a reaction against Nestorianism. It was anticipated by Apollinarianism and was continuous with the principles of Eutyches, whose doctrine had been rejected in 451 at the Council of Chalcedon. Monophysitism challenged the orthodox definition of faith of Chalcedon and taught that in Jesus there were not two natures, divine and human but one nature. We cannot say precisely to what extent the faith of the Abyssinian and Nestorian Monks influenced the Prophet of Islam. The best we can say is that the religion revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is Islam. This word is derived from the word Salaam which means primarily “peace” but in secondary sense “surrender”. Its full connotation is “the perfect peace that comes when one's life is surrendered to God”. It follows therefore that a Muslim is one who has surrendered to or received the religion. One who has given himself exclusively to God as revealed by Muhammad (SAW).
This encounter of Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of Abyssinian is a strong basis for dialogue between the Christians and the Muslims. The Muslim who follows the teaching of Islam to surrender to the will of Allah and the Christian who is willing to follow Jesus by bearing any suffering patiently as a meeting point in the dialogue of life. The Christian must be willing to carry the Cross and tolerate others no matter their colour, race, tribe or religion. The Christian must be prepared to work for peace as preached by Jesus Christ. Blessed are the peace makers, they shall be called children of God (Matthew 5:7). There can be no peace without justice and justice can be achieved only through dialogue and good governance. Following the examples of our leaders we should be prepared to live in peace, love and unity.
Some Muslims and Christians have expressed the need for religious re-education in Nigeria. I tried to enquire if there is anything wrong with the religious education we have had hitherto. I discovered that religious education has been deleted from the syllabus of many schools while it does not even exist in the curriculum of some schools in Nigeria. A further enquiry reveals that many people are afraid of religion because they think that religion has done more harm than good in many parts of the world. On February 17, 2012, All Africa posted that “as religion grows, so does Inter-Faith Conflicts in Africa. This publication claims that Nigeria is not the only country that is experiencing religious related conflicts. Egypt had a very high record of violence especially the conflict between Muslims and Orthodox Christians. The insurgency of Ivory Coast was given a religious dimension. Some people thought that it was a conflict between the North (with a predominantly Muslim population) and the South (with a predominantly Christian population). The propagandist of Al Shabaab also raised an alarm of religious conflict in Kenya.
According to the report of the Citizen newspaper, the religious harmony in Tanzania is threatened to such an extent that the Muslim Council of Tanzania (Bakwata) had called on the government to form a special commission of religious leaders to be proactive in the sustenance of peace. Some part of Mali was ravaged by religious violence. The conflict of the government with the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (Shiites) has just claimed the life of some top police officers and Shiites protesters. These are only a few examples of countries in Africa that are experiencing religious related violence. All over the world, there have been challenges of religious pluralism. For instance, in India there is tension between adherents of Hindu, Buddha, Islam and Christian religions. China and the Middle East have their stories to tell. Europe and America is not even spared. We remember vividly the terrorist attack America in September 11, 2001
The worst indication of the fear of religion is intra-religious conflicts. I have been confronted by many people with the questions on the future of Inter-religious dialogue in Nigeria in particular and in the world in general. Some people have expressed total loss of confidence in inter-religious dialogue for unimaginable reasons. Some Christians now find it very difficult to trust their Muslim neighbours whom they have loved and cherished. I do not know the veracity of their claim that some people operate on the adage that “the fact that you love an animal does not mean that you should not kill it”. This is expressed in Hausa as “Sabuwa da kaza bata hana yanka”.Some Muslims and Christians have accused some preachers of both religions for preaching inciting sermons which provoke violence. This has deepened the mutual suspicion from both sides. This is where the demands for religious re-education is very instructive. This would help to debrief and de-radicalize those who have been brainwashed and indoctrinated.
There was a time in the history of the Church when the Holy Bible was quoted out of context by some people who want to do evil for their own selfish interest. A lot of studies, namely exegesis, textual and historical criticism of the Bible have helped a great deal to make the true message of the Bible relevant for all ages. It is time for our Muslim brethren to vigorously expose the contextual power of the Qur’an to reveal to the world that Islam is indeed a religion of peace. It is time to let people know that some war verses in the Qur’an and the Old Testament of the Bible were revealed in the context of war. These verses which were valid in that context and situation may not be relevant in our modern world if we are serious with the promotion of religious coexistence. Religious re-education is an authentic narrative of the sacred texts.
The way the message of the Qur’an is lived can testify that the Holy Book does not promote violence but the dignity of the human person. The Qur’an supports peace building to such an extent that Muslims are instructed to believe that “If anyone slays a person, it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people” (Qur’an 5: 32). Consequently, the good life of every Muslim is a renewed testimony in the modern world as prescribed by the glorious Qur’an. The noble, honorable and good life of a Muslim can contradict the opinion of some people who believe that some Muslims have been taught that a person who does not practice Islam is not better than a vulture.
I have read the Bible and the Qur’an from cover to cover. I have also read the commentaries. My discovery is that these holy books promote human dignity but many Christians and Muslims through their bad behaviour present to the world a false teaching of the sacred scriptures. I have seen so many good and holy Christians and Muslims who have proven that the religion they practice is a complete way of life from the sacred scriptures. Saint Paul captures the abuse of religion in the second chapter of his letter to the Romans that because of their actions, the name of God is blasphemed among unbelievers (Romans 2:24). Many people have mistaken the actions of some people has the dogma of their religion. Each time we practice mischief in the name of religion; we insult God and ridicule our religion. Because of the many bad habits some people have acquired in the name of religion, the call for religious re-education becomes imperative. The big question is how? Where do we start from in attempting to re-engineer the brain and the mind that has been filled with religious garbage for so long? Mahatma Gandhi told a group of Christians, “I love your Christ, but I hate your Christians”. He said this because he felt that some members of the group he was addressing were not projecting the true image of Jesus Christ.
Most of the religious crisis and intolerance can be attributed to ignorance. In her book, “the trouble with Islam today”, IrshadManji gave a wake-up call for honesty and change in the way Islam is being practiced. Dr. Khaleel Mohammed, Imam and Professor, San Diego State University in his forward to the book said: I really should hate this woman. But then I look into my heart and engage my mind, and I come to a discomfiting conclusion: Irshad is telling the truth – which means I have to side with her. Irshad asked: “In the East African Muslim community from where I came, would I have been allowed to dream of a formal education? Having gotten the opportunity to go to school, she said, I insisted on being educated rather than indoctrinated. She said that “the trouble with Islam today is that literalism is going mainstream, worldwide”. She therefore calls for a theological exegesis on the contextual, literary and form criticism of the Holy Qur’an akin to what the scripture scholars are doing to the Bible. We should note however that Christian theology did not arrive at this level of awareness overnight. Some people like Copernicus and Galilee Galileo died in the process of reinterpreting the creation account of Genesis. A lot of Muslim scholars today are beginning to attempt the interpretation of Islam within the context of modern civilization. When on 14 February 1989, Khomeini declared a fatwa against Salman Rushdie, author of “the Satanic Verse, many people including some Muslims pleaded for him.
Irshad said that “Most of us Muslims aren’t Muslims because we think about it, but rather because we’re born that way. It’s who we are”. I needed to discover Islam’s personality instead of its posturing….For me, lineage didn’t equal merit. Personality did. Prophet Muhammad defines religion as “the way we conduct ourselves towards others. Reacting to the ways and manner the Muslims of East Africa treated blacks like slaves, she said: Home is where my dignity lives, not necessarily where my ancestors originate….Many Muslims made dignity difficult for people darker than us. She called for respect for human dignity and peaceful co-existence.
St. Jerome said that “ignorance of the scriptures is ignorant of God” The first word spoken to the Prophet Muhammad is:“iqra, read”. The adherent of African Religions, The Christian and the Muslim should not just be content with the knowledge of his / her religions. The Christian should take a bold step to study Islam while the Muslim should take a bold step to study the Christian Religion. This knowledge of the truth of each other’s religion will go a long way to promote peaceful co-existence. It will make us live together instead of just tolerating one another. We should know that everybody is not a Jew, Arab or Roman. We should work hard to discover the African brand of Christianity and Islam. There was a time when the Christians prayed only in Latin but now, the Christian is able to pray in the local language. The Muslim should also be able to pray not only in Arabic but in the local language. We should know that every religion is attended with a particular culture and tradition. If the Africans can rediscover the values of hospitality, love of community life, respect for elders and many others, we shall discover that even ethnic wars will be a thing of the past. We can be true Muslims at the same time be a true African. You can be a true Christian at the same time be a true African. Are we ready for a change? Then let us go! Nothing should stop us now from making the promotion of human dignity and value a base to dialogue! Nothing is difficult for a willing heart.
I believe that there are so many Christians and Muslims today who bear true witness to the scriptures. This is why the call for religious education and re-education is necessary for our present age. How do we go about this? Who is to plan this project? Who is to execute it? Who will be the teachers and who will be the students? Is it enough to make religious education mandatory at all educational levels? What do we do about the religious books that are floating the world with wrong doctrines and have been accepted for use in some of our schools? How could the fanatical preachers who promote inter-religious hatred in our various Churches and Mosques be re-educated to stop misleading the innocent followers? Do we need license for preachers? Who should issue the license? Should it be the religious experts, leaders or government? There is nothing wrong with religion? It is the adherents of the different religions that need proper education and awareness. Let us begin to think of how to redeem our God given religions from those who have become manipulated manipulators of religion. The essence of dialogue is to promote peace in the society.
Using Nigeria as our case study, the implication of dialogue in Africa is the imperative of peaceful co-existence. The bold proclamation of, “Let Peace Reign in Nigeria” was the theme of the second quarter meeting of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) held on March 29, 2019 at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, laying a strong emphasis on the imperative of justice and good governance. In furtherance of this aspiration, “Justice and Good Governance for Peace” was chosen as the theme for the third quarter meeting of July 23, 2019 at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja. This theme was necessary more so, now that the nation is increasingly starring into the abyss of unnecessary religious and ethnic conflict. Central to this, is the need to realize and recognize that God created human beings in his likeness, and the justice of God lies in the fact that God has made Himself and His love known to everyone without admixture of error. God has put in the hearts and minds of everyone how to live and relate to each other on the earth that he has given us freely to dwell in. Ethnic and religious stigmatization will therefore be a distraction in dealing with people who have chosen the path of criminality. Crime has no tribe and religion. Good governance is an antidote to this danger, under which everyone, Zones and Religions are exposed to the dividends of justice. Peace would flow like a river when equity is respected in governance.
Irrespective of the definition criteria used, we can perceive a structure of three classes in Nigeria: The Upper, Middle and Lower classes. These classes are not mutually exclusive, as people transit from one class to the other all the time, and peaceful coexistence demands a high level of interaction between them. Largely, in every society, the lowest class tends to have the least education and the means to move up into the other classes. However, many of us have overcome the barriers of moving up and away from the lowest class. Authentic justice would depend on how we manage the lowest class. One of the ways to do this is to recognize and tap into the natural knowledge that is innate in every human being, irrespective of formal education. Every member of the aforementioned classes can actively participate in dialogue of life, religious experience, encounter, action and dialogue of love. In dialogue of theological exchange and literary discourse, we tend to discount any possible contribution from the lowest class, as these are dismissed as “uneducated” or “illiterate”.
To make dialogue more effective, comprehensive or encompassing, it should involve individuals at the grassroots so as not to reduce dialogue only to the pages of newspapers, social media and academic conferences. This is why NIREC is embarking on reaching the Geo-political zones and States of Nigeria. NIREC will continue to engage the youths and this will include reaching out to the students in Primary, Secondary, higher institutions and NYSC orientation camps. Another initiative is the proposed training of trainers in the Board Room of the office of NIREC at the Federal Secretariat complex, Abuja, which is intended to produce experts in dialogue and peacebuilding who will take the message of justice, peace and good governance to every Nigerian. The transformation of any society depends on the level of the positive change of attitude of every one of its members. Once individuals have peace within themselves, we can then guarantee a society and nation adorned with peaceful coexistence.
Since NIREC is made up of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). it would not be out of place for any Christian or Muslim to write a petition to the council. The Co-Chairmen of NIREC are committed to looking into matters that could cause conflict between Christians and Muslims. The office of the Secretary to Government (OSGF) is giving the Council appreciable attention. This has made NIREC a visible sign of Government’s promotion of dialogue and Peacebuilding. We, therefore, are encouraged to take advantage of this development, to make Nigeria a peaceful and secure nation. If you must demand justice in writing, think properly of whose interest you are fighting.
In collaboration with NIREC, faith-based councils or organizations need to take very seriously, conflict transformation which could bring about harmony and relationship that should exist between all the aforementioned classes using all forms of dialogue. The tools for these relationships are unbiased and focused service delivery; prompt emergency response; faithfulness to our laws; intensive application of basic human rights, as well as close collaboration and transparency among the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary arms of our government. To address some of the challenges, there is also need to develop relationship-building strategies for the elites of the middle class, based on social justice. There is an urgent need for the middle class to engage in rational evaluation before reacting to issues raised on the media or online. Promoting unverifiable, and uncharitable information can lead to anarchy and conflict. While everybody has the right to be listened to, there is need to identify a target partner who would respond, since dialogue is a call and response activity. Those at the bottom level should be meaningfully engaged such that they can take care of their basic needs.
Religious leaders should be proactive in establishing and promoting mutual relationships. Already existing friendship helps in preventing mutual suspicion and prejudice. It aids nonviolent advocacy, limits damage, aids reconciliation, healing of trauma and hurts, regeneration and working on the historic memory. Existing relationships give rise to the creation of social space for offering and receiving graciousness. It creates space for discovery and building new relationships. Justice and good governance can open the hearts of the citizens for peaceful coexistence. Credible people and criminals exist in every tribe. To prevent the syndrome of stigmatizing a particular ethnic group, criminals must be made to face justice regardless of their tribe or religion. To assist the government’s security agents in doing this, traditional and political leaders of each ethnic group must expose the criminals who are destroying their ethnic integrity and shaming their tribes. As the saying goes, “the relation of a mentally-challenged person has a duty to prevent him from roaming the forest and streets”. The bad eggs in the various ethnic groups must be disciplined by their leaders to know that a good name is better than silver and gold.
Conflict has never brought success or progress to a person, community or nation. Let us therefore promote only the information that is true, good and useful to build a healthy society. Let writers keep their pens from provocative publications just as those who talk should keep their tongues from evil and their lips from hate speeches. Government at all levels must have the political will to manage ethnic diversity and religious pluralism. Let us strive to harness the innate beauty and strength of our diversity. Unity is strength and in justice we can stand strong as a united people. Yes, in justice, we can carry our Nigerian passport with pride as good Nigerians. Let us be good ambassadors of our home and native land. May God bless us with justice and good governance! May we love as human beings who will give account to God on the day of judgement! May the peace of God abide with us forever!
Rev. Fr. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua is the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC). He was the Director of the Department of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria and Consultor of the Commission for Religious Relations with Muslims (CRRM), Vatican City (www.omonokhua.blogspot.com).
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