Asagba of Asaba Preaches Inclusivity in Practice of Religious Faith

Adherents of the different religions in the country have been urged to be inclusive in the practice of their faith and tolerant of one another in the interest of peace and harmony.

A prominent traditional ruler in Delta State and 14th Asagba of Asaba, His Royal Majesty, Prof Epiphany Azinge, SAN, OON, made the call when he played host to a delegation of Yoruba Council of Islamic Scholars in Asaba, Delta State.

He said he believed in inclusivity, whereby all groups should be allowed to express their religious faith and freedom of religion, so that they could live harmoniously and coexist peacefully with the people.

The Asagba described the Islamic Scholars as highly revered people because of their wealth of knowledge, noting that they could even be said to have a better understanding of the Bible than some Christians.

His Royal Majesty said his Palace was open to collaboration and building bridges that would go beyond Asaba, highlighting the challenge of insecurity which called for the intervention of the Islamic Scholars, so that Asaba could continue to pride itself as a peaceful and safe community for all.

“We go out of our way to make it so. We don’t leave it for government alone. We also bother about the welfare and well-being of our people, hence we try as much as possible to combat frontally drug addiction, cultism, amongst some of the menaces of contemporary time. We also invite you, as critical stakeholders we consider you to be, to join us in the fight against the menaces ravaging the country at this point in time.

“Perhaps, it may sound a little bit distant, but the cases of banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, amongst others, are something that, with the greatest respect, seem to be attributed, to a large extent, to a given faith in this country. That should be a challenge to you because as Islamic Scholars it behoves you to change the narrative and perspective that Islamism is synanimous with fundamentalism and fanatism. It’s not, it’s not supposed to be, but that’s the perspective that is coming up. I, therefore, challenge you to present the true face of Islam that people will understand and come to appreciate.

“It’s not for you to present a face that whenever people talk about Islamism they now talk about terrorism, banditry and other nefarious activities. That is totally unacceptable and socially condemnable. That again is a challenge from the throne to you people. How you go about it is your own problem. But I urge you to lead advocacy. You are Chief Imams and you have your congregations. Use the mosques as a platform to change the mindset of the people”, the Asagba said.

He also charged the Islamic clerics to use the mosques as a platform to speak to government and truth to power, not just at the local level but generally, stressing that they owed it a duty to inform the government of the challenges of Nigerians, including poverty, hunger and infrastructural decay.

Earlier in an address, the Chief Imam of the Yoruba Community and President, Council of Islamic Scholars, Asaba, Delta State, Adam Usman Ayokunnu, said the visit was a testament to their deep respect for the throne of Asaba, the rich heritage of their community and the significant contributions the king had made to their collective progress.

The Imam said the Council comprised of esteemed Islamic Scholars dedicated to promoting understanding, unity, and cooperation within the Muslim community in Asaba and Delta State in general, and expressed the hope that meeting the Asagba would provide a valuable opportunity for them to learn from his wealth of experience, share knowledge, build bridges and seek collaboration in the collective efforts to serve the community better.