C’wealth Jewish Council Urges Federal Government To Leverage Religious Diversity
The Commonwealth Jewish Council has called on the Nigerian government to take advantage of the country’s religious diversity and ensure that no group imposes itself on others.
Clive Lawton, Executive Chairman of Commonwealth council made the call at a news conference in Awka on Friday as part of his tour of Nigeria and West Africa.
Lewton, who said there were Jewish communities in 40 of 56 Commonwealth countries, noted that the complex religious nature of Nigeria was more than Christian-Muslim problem.
He applauded the growing presence of the Jewish Community in Nigeria and expressed delight that a good number of people had discovered their Jewish ancestry and were exploring it.
“Even though the number of Jews in Nigeria is small, it presents an interesting development for the Nigerian state
“We know that Nigeria has a problem with how to get its large Christian and large Muslim population to live together and interact even though they disagree strongly in some areas.
“There is always potential for problems because of the complications but complication is a characteristic of a country that is a part of the 21st global community.
“The existence a Jewish Community in Nigeria gives the government a wonderful opportunity of not thinking about the coexistence of two religious communities but how to accommodate all the diversities,” he said.
Lewton decried the unintentional exclusion of Jewish Community in Nigeria from voting due to conduct of elections on Saturdays.
He said Jewish religion predated Christianity and Islam and that most practices of both religions took roots from Judaism but it does not evangelise or force others to obey their laws.
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He said children should be taught other religions in school to enrich and deepen their understanding of religious diversity.
According to him, if you leave somebody ignorant, you have left them vulnerable to whatever nonsense other people will tell them.
“I discovered that elections in Nigeria take place on Saturday which is a day that most people are not working but Sabbath is our holiday day of worship when the Bible tells us not to work.
“This includes not going to polling booths and because the election is on Saturday, the entire Jewish community is disenfranchised even though Nigeria did not intend to discriminate against.
“The Nigerian government should engage constructive, fruitful, morally upright Christian, Muslim, Jewish and other religious leaders as a counter voice to the small proportion of maniacs who misinterpret their religion.
“These maniacs who misinterpret their religion and use it as a stick to beat others are doing harm to their own religion,” he said.
Also speaking, Chief Arthur-Regis Odidika, the President of Judaism Fellowship Initiative (JFI) Nigeria said they were glad to receive the Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth to Nigeria.
Odidika expressed hope that the visit would increase the movement in the country and called on the Federal Government to consider the plight of about three million Judaism members who do not vote during Saturday elections.
