Religious leaders meet in Jos, reach consensus on protection of holy sites
Religious leaders in Plateau state, yesterday met in Jos the state capital under the auspices of ‘Search for Common Ground,’ a non-governmental organization (NGO) and issued a Statement.
Communiqué instituting protection on Holy Sites within the North Central Region, a code that was adopted and endorsed by senior religious leaders from over ten faiths and numerous religious institutions world over.
The communique tagged ‘Joint Interfaith Statement on Building Consensus on the Protection of Holy Sites And The Universal Code Of Conduct on Holy Sites’, stipulated that the Code encourages religious leaders, traditional institutions and other interfaith bodies to consider it as a template for cooperation to confront the need to protect Holy Sites as a socially compelling imperative.
The two-day zonal meeting with Christians and Muslim Religious leaders from four states of north- central Nigeria comprising Niger, Kaduna Nasarawa and Plateau states, held on 13th and 14th February, 2017, examined the Provisions of the Universal Code of Conduct, which contains 10 articles on the protection of holy places.
Places regarded as sacred, according to the communique, includes mosques, churches, cemeteries and synagogues.
The code, however, provides that such places should be preserved and protected against all violence and desecration.
The secretary of Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI), Mr. Sani Mudi, who read the statement, also observed that vices leading to violence and hate speeches must also be nipped in the bud to arrest desecration of holy sites.
