CAN REACTS TO SHEIKH JINGIR’S CONTROVERSIAL MUSLIM-MUSLIM TICKET COMMENT
Read Time:1 Minute, 37 Second
By:Tajudeen Aminat
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, Joseph Hayab, has called for moderation and mutual respect in public discourse, particularly when discussing sensitive religious and political issues.
Hayab made the call on Monday while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, where he reacted to recent remarks by Islamic cleric Sheikh Yahya Jingir.
Jingir had reportedly said in a video circulating on social media that Nigerians who were unwilling to support a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket should leave the country, arguing that Nigeria belonged to Muslims.
Reacting to the comments, Hayab said while Christians had endured provocative statements in the past, the use of the derogatory term “infidel” made the situation more troubling.
He urged political and religious leaders to engage in honest and constructive dialogue, stressing the importance of open-mindedness when making statements in the public space.
“We have always been tolerant of this, and I want to take us back. We have had the worst of these statements. But we have to be moderate. We have to be careful when we come to public space,” Hayab said.
He noted that Jingir could have expressed support for Muslim candidates without resorting to language that could be considered offensive.
“Honestly speaking, if Jingir had said, ‘Look, let’s vote for our Muslim brothers to show we are strong,’ it wouldn’t have been offensive than adding the term ‘infidel’,” he said.
According to Hayab, the remarks became more contentious when the cleric moved beyond political campaigning to what he described as insults.
“The moment he went out of just campaigning and insulting, then it turns the story different.
“But we are saying this as Christians that we’ve had this for a long time, we’ve suffered this for a long time, we are familiar with this for a long time,” he added.
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