The Federal government should declare the 1st Muharram as a public holiday in this country to enable the Muslim brothers and sisters to celebrate the new Islamic calendar 1441, the General Overseer, Christ Evengelical and Life Intervention Ministry, Pastor Yohanna Buru has said.
It starts from today Friday, 1st Muharram 1441 which is equivalent to 30th August 2019.
In an exclusive interview with newsmen in Kaduna today at NUJ secretariat, the Christian priests said, he joined the muslim faithfuls all over the world to celebrate yet another Islamic calendar.
He said the imperatives of new Islamic year to all muslims and lovers of freedom is too important to be ignored by all, hence there is need for Nigerian government to declare the Ist Muharram a public holiday, so that all muslims and their neighbours could celebrate it in a grand style of sharing love, good neighbourliness and mutual understanding with and among families.
He said by so doing, the federal government would have dignify the Islamic calendar which is very relevant and central to the lives of all Millions of Muslims citizens and religious people as well in the country.
Pastor Buru then charged all muslims and Christians in the country and around the world to engage in comparative religious studies, with a view to understand areas of similarities and differences for mutual living and peaceful coexistence in love and tolerance.
He then said, pluralism under democracy is a must, hence religious clerics must embrace all efforts that shall foster interfaith and ontervultural dialogue among faiths.
”Its my beliefs that, Muslims in Nigeria should have a public holiday to celebrate the 1st day of Islamic calendar just as we Christians have first January as a new year day.’
He charged the Muslims to use this period for sober reflection and have a new year resolutions that shall benefit them spiritually and materially for the good of all humanity and our country.
He then called on all clerics to shun all acts of disunity, mutual acrimony and mistrust among their followers and embrace peaceful engagements and understanding for the good of our country Nigeria.
