The Guild of Interfaith Media Practitioners Nigeria (GIMP-Nigeria) has appealed to religious leaders, political actors and citizens to avoid inflammatory rhetoric capable of widening Nigeria’s religious fault lines, following remarks attributed to Islamic cleric, Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, concerning Christians.
The Guild, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Abdulkarim Abdulmalik, described the reported remarks as “unfortunate and provocative,” warning that reckless religious pronouncements could fuel mistrust and further strain relations between communities.
Abdulmalik said religious leaders had a particularly important responsibility to promote peace and mutual understanding in a country as religiously diverse as Nigeria.
He argued that Islamic history offered several examples of peaceful engagement with people of other faiths, citing the Prophet Muhammad’s relationship with the Christian ruler of Abyssinia, the Negus, who provided refuge to persecuted Muslims.
He also referenced the Prophet’s interactions with Christian visitors in Madinah, saying the encounters demonstrated that religious differences could be managed through dialogue, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence.
“Islam must not be judged by the irresponsible words of any individual, just as Christianity must not be judged by the misconduct of any Christian,” he said.
The Guild urged prominent Islamic institutions, including the Izala Society, the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and Jama’atu Nasril Islam, to provide appropriate scholarly clarification whenever statements attributed to Muslim clerics appear inconsistent with Islamic teachings on justice and peaceful coexistence.
It equally called on law enforcement and other relevant authorities to investigate allegations of incitement where necessary, insisting that no religious leader or public figure should be exempt from the law.
At the same time, GIMP-Nigeria warned against exploiting religious controversies or law enforcement processes for political persecution, partisan advantage or electoral mobilisation.
The Guild appealed to President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and political leaders at all levels to uphold their constitutional obligation to protect every Nigerian, regardless of religious or ethnic identity.
Abdulmalik said the country could ill afford escalating religious tensions when millions of Nigerians were already facing insecurity, poverty, unemployment and other socio-economic challenges.
“Nigeria cannot afford a religious war of words when the country is already confronting insecurity, poverty, unemployment and social fragmentation,” he said.
He urged religious and political leaders to replace denunciations with dialogue and selective outrage with impartial justice, stressing that Nigeria’s diversity should be harnessed as an asset for national unity.
The Guild further called on Nigerians to resist provocative messages, verify sensitive claims before spreading them and strengthen a culture of interfaith understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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