In a powerful display of interfaith harmony, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, along with Archbishop Peter Ogumiyiwa of the Abuja Africa Metropolitan Church and other Christian faithful, joined fasting Muslims in Abuja to break their Ramadan fast at the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society (AIS) on Saturday.
The iftar (breaking of fast feast), organised by Cardinal Onaiyekan in collaboration with Al-Habibiyyah, provided meals for over 2,000 underprivileged Muslims and non-Muslims. This event forms part of the Al-Habibiyyah Food Bank’s daily initiatives throughout Ramadan, aiming to support those in need and foster national unity.
Addressing the gathering, Cardinal Onaiyekan emphasised the shared spiritual journey of both Christians and Muslims during their respective periods of fasting and Lent. He encouraged both communities to recognise these concurrent observances as divine providence, urging them to unite their “heads, hearts, and minds.”
“We should see it as providence, that God is asking us to put our heads together, to put our hearts and minds together,” stated Cardinal Onaiyekan. “What we are doing as Christians and Muslims is more or less the same thing – a period when we want to get close to God, a period when we look into our hearts to improve our moral life, a time also when we have self-discipline.”
He added that whether through fasting or other forms of self-denial, the essence is identical for both religions. “When we do it together, surely God is all the more happy with us.” The Cardinal also revealed he had brought gifts of yams for distribution, clarifying that these were donations from a government friend, not personal expenditure.
Sheikh Fuad Adeyemi, the National Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyyah, lauded Cardinal Onaiyekan as a unifying figure for both Christian and Muslim communities in Nigeria. “This is the type of thing we need in our country today,” Sheikh Adeyemi remarked. “We are showing that working together can always make us greater. The best way to preach our religion is in a peaceful way.”
He stressed that true conviction comes from being the best to humanity and promoting happiness through actions, rather than through violence or division. “We have a very high number of Christians, a very high number of Muslims, and yet we are committed peacefully until when enemies came in, and they want us to see ourselves as enemies.”
