Jordanian tour guide urges Nigeria Christian pilgrims to promote peace
Mr Moses Aljadaa, a Jordanian tour guide has urged Nigeria Christian pilgrims to always promote peaceful coexistence when they return to the country.
Aljadaa who led pilgrims from Gombe State advised in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Amman, the capital of Jordan on Sunday.
He said that one of the objectives of the pilgrimage was to connect with God and reflect such encounters in relationships with others.
He said` `Jordan, like Nigeria, has a combination of Muslims and Christians but we have never recorded any issue of clash amongst the different religious groups because we see ourselves as brothers bonded with love and tolerance.’’
He stated that the approximate population of Christians in Jordan is four per cent while Muslims are 96 per cent, but the country never had a problem because of what it described as, “our culture of peace and love’’.
The tour guide noted some of the solutions Nigeria with major religious groups could apply to address its religious clashes is a “good family value system.”
“In my opinion family is very key. We must grow love in the family by showing our children how to be lovers and peacekeepers.
“To accept others irrespective of their colour, belief, faith, origin and ethnic grouping,’’ he said.
Aljadaa further said that the content of the education system should include ethical-oriented lessons for children, adding that schools should teach lots of ethics and morals to enable children to grow up with values.
He also said that Nigerians should appreciate the beauty of one another’s religion and reflect such in their relationship with others.
The tour guide, however, cautioned that the wrong use of social media platforms could contribute greatly to creating disharmony among the people.
He, therefore, advised social media handlers to leverage the platforms in promoting good values that unite people.
Aljadaa commended the government of Nigeria for permitting its citizens to visit Jordan for pilgrimage, adding that such would help build relations between Nigerians and Jordanians.
On his part, Rev. Isa Ahmadu, one of the pastors leading prayers for Nigeria said that when they were in Gadara, (the place where Jesus Christ cast out demons from the mad man in Matthew 8: 28), they prayed for peace.
According to Ahmadu, the prayers for Nigeria are necessary given what he described as “evil going on resulting to insecurity in the land.
“Our prayer is for God to chase out the evil spirits setting us back in Nigeria so that our glory will be revealed as a united and peaceful nation.”
Also, Rev. Gaius Mangus, another pastor said his prayer to God was for the people to have a deeper understanding of who Nigeria was and the direction the people ought to take to achieve peace and development.
He said, “My prayer is for Nigerians and Gombe people to understand God because if we understand God, we will not kill one another senselessly in the name of religion.”
The clergyman advised all pilgrims to ensure that they learn the good lessons while in Jordan to impact in promoting peace in their local communities and churches when they return to Nigeria.
NAN reports that Nigeria pilgrims in Jordan have been holding different prayer sessions for the country and also personal prayers for their families and friends in any Holy sites visited.