Peace, Bedrock Of Interfaith —Atilade

Archbishop Magnus Atilade recently in an event on Interfaith and religious harmony organised by the U.S Consulate at the U.S Embassy in Lagos, said religious harmony is the only key to lasting and sustainable peace.

According to the Archbishop, who was chairman of the occasion, “no religion on earth promotes and preaches violence.” He appealed to all religion leaders in the country to always speak against violence, destruction of properties and shedding of blood.

He stated that all religions promote peace, and that leaders should not act otherwise, but be bold to preach the truth and speak against violence, destruction and killings.

Quoting from both the Holy Quran and the Holy Bible, he applauded the organisers, and it was the right time to have “an avenue for such dialogue among inter-faith bodies, to offer explanations and promote mutual understanding and respect, to build up our social fabric to be better prepared against violence and threat to sustainable peace,” he stated.

He said there is no compulsion or coercion in religion as it was God’s desire to create different people, colour, language, countries; therefore no religion should encourage compulsion in its preaching.

According to Atilade, if man realises that all human beings are not the same, in terms of gender, nationality, tribesy, colour and even in beliefs, then the ability of man to develop mutual agreements to reconcile the differences in opinions, feelings and take actions to resolve the diverse and conflicting issues amicably without resorting to violence.

—Moses Falobi