By IDRIS KATIB
“Whoever kills a soul is as if he has killed the whole humanity” –Qur’an
This was the window with which I opened my discuss with my students last week in one of the journalism courses “Reporting Religion” assigned to me at Crescent University, Abeokuta.
One important research I usually conduct during my interaction with students taking this course is to make two columns on the white board with “Religion by inheritance” and Religion by choice”.
In my last class, more that 80% of my students for the aforementioned course said they inherited their religion from their parents while the rest said it was their choice.This is a global trend as majority of adherents of many religions inherit them from their parents.
This means that if someone like me, a Muslim, was born in India, I would almost certainly have been a Hindu not a Muslim.Similarly, If I had been born in a country like Italy or Sweden, I would certainly have been a Christian, I explained.
Further research on this course revealed to me that there are other categories of people who do not even believe in anything; they do not believe what those of us in popular religions–Hinduism, Judaism, Shinto, Christianity, Confucianism, Islam and the likes–believe.
Among us are atheists who do not believe in the existence of God and agnostics who doubt such existence.According to the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to their freedom including freedom of religion.
Then, what is all this madness about religious bigotry? What right do some people have to kill others who do not agree with them on their religious sentiments?None.
I learn in my research about the principle of Ahimsa popularised by Mahatma Gandhi.It is a principle of nonviolence to animals and humans.To the extent that the Hindu venerate some animals like cows, donkeys and even flies.In fact, it is an abominable taboo to allow flies to enter your mouth, causing their death, according to this doctrine.
From my findings, none of the world’s major religions supports senseless killing of fellow humans.
It is time religious and traditional leaders in the Northern part of Nigeria woke up to their responsibility.There must be an education overhaul.Islam does not support killing of fellow human beings and no other major world’s religion does.
There must be justice on the murder of Deborah Yakubu.
