NIGERIA: Muslim, Catholic Women Unite for Peace

In order to further ensure peaceful co-existence among the two major religions in the country, Muslim women under the auspices of Federation of Muslim Women's Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) and the Catholic Women Association of Nigeria (CWAON) have agreed to collaborate over state of insecurity in country.

The Leader of FOMWAN, Hajia Maryam Idris Othman, who stated this during an enlightenment programme for Muslim women in the country, said the move became necessary because of the Boko Haram menace that was ravaging parts of the North.

She stated that the two groups had established working relationship and developed programmes capable of enhancing peaceful co-existence in some states of the federation.

According to her, the collaborative efforts have been on in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Oyo, Plateau and Kaduna states where they have been preaching peace among various ethnic and religious groups.

She said the group had analysed the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram and concluded that the group was not fighting religious war but political as no religion teaches killing as a way of venting one's anger.

She said victims of the group's activities were both Christians and Muslims, saying that this had shown that it has nothing to do with religion.

Othman, however, urged the Federal government to enter into dialogue with the identified leaders of the group if only that would bring lasting peace to the Northern part of the country.

Speaking on vaccination for children, she said Islam did not forbid taking vaccine in order to prevent polio as those who refused to submit their children for vaccination did not have knowledge of Islam.

Besides, she advised parents to tame their children, saying the incidence of immodest dressing has no religious connotation.

She, however, said the group was in the state in order to enlighten women groups on how to relate with members of the society, know their rights and propagate the tenets of Islam.