The Chief Missioner of Nasrul Lahi l fatih Society (NASFAT), Imam Abdul-Azeez Onike, says he will be among African leading religious scholars, intellectuals and civic leaders at the International Conference on promotion of religious tolerance in Nouakchott, Capital of Mauritania.
Onike said on Tuesday in Lagos that the invitation was at the instance of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies under the auspices of President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, His Excellency, Mr Mohammed Ould Cheikh Al- Ghazwani.
According to him, the conference with the theme: “African Scholars: Promoting Tolerance and Moderation Against Extremism and Sectarianism” begins on Jan. 21 and Jan. 23.
Onike’s said his invitation was based largely on his pedigree as the spiritual leader of a pacesetting Islamic Society in the promotion of religious harmony and peaceful coexistence.
He added that it was also based on his many contributions to the World Peace through participation at the United Nations programmes and other global fora.
According to him, NASFAT’s readiness to partner with any initiative is informed by the scriptural exhortations.
“And, let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful,” he said.
Onike expressed his profound gratitude to the President of Mauritania and the globally acclaimed Islamic Scholar, Sheikh Abdullah bn Bayyah, for considering him worthy of being invited to lend their voice against the scourge of terrorism.
He said organisers of the conference had observed that since the beginning of this century, African Continent had been a stage for various forms of violence, civil strife, spread of extremist, inflammatory and hateful rhetoric.
“It, therefore, resolved that there was an urgent need to conjoin between political measures in terms of security and developments, religious scholars and other stakeholders to re-establish tolerance and peaceful coexistence in the continent.
“The three-day conference seeks to produce a scholarly statement and historic declaration of the stance of Muslim Scholars vis-a-vis these abhorrent acts of hatred that no religion or conscience can accept,” he said.
