Eid-el-Kabir: Bishop Badejo felicitates Muslims, seeks peaceful coexistence
By Timothy Agbor, Osogbo
The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo, Most Rev. Emmanuel Badejo has rejoiced with Muslim faithful on this year’s occasion of Eid-el-Kabir and urged them to continue to uphold obedience to Allah in the spirit of forgiveness and true love for one another.
In a Sallah message jointly signed by the bishop and Rev. Fr. Joseph Ogundipe, Director of Inter-religious Dialogue of the diocese, Muslims were urged to reflect on the need for peaceful coexistence and be ready to combat religious fanaticism.
The messages reads fully: “Dear brothers and sisters in Islam, on behalf of the entire Catholic Diocese of Oyo, may I congratulate you, dear Muslim brothers and sisters as you celebrate another holy feast of sacrifice, Eid el Kabir. We join you in thanking God for this opportunity understanding the challenges that this season poses to us all. We feel for those who missed the obligation of going to Hajj due to Covid-19 pandemic, and we pray that next year will be better. Amen.
“Dear brothers and sisters, Eid el Kabir is a festival of great sacrifice to Allah which must reflect in our loving sacrifice to one another, especially those who do not share our beliefs and language. Our beloved country needs all of us and we all have a part to play in the success of Nigeria as a nation. I humbly urge us to use this medium to reflect on our common need for peaceful coexistence, good governance and youth empowerment.
“We must be ready to combat all forms of prejudices, fake news, hate speech and religious fanaticism and join hands with our leaders in making Nigeria work for all of us.
“We thank God for all that we have been able to achieve together in Oyo diocese and Oyo State. We also pray for more peace and progress in the years ahead. As always, we are open to programmes of mutual enrichment and dialogue of peaceful coexistence with you all.
“Once again, on behalf of the Priests, Religious and Laity of this diocese, I wish you all a blessing-filled Eid El Kabir celebration. May we live to celebrate more of this and may every one of us, Muslim and Christian alike continue to uphold our obedience to Allah in the spirit of forgiveness and true love for one another. Amen. Barka de Sallah 2021!!! Kulu sanna weh antum behi-rin: Mabruk kulukum.”
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