Muslim-Christian Peace Delegation to Nigeria

  • ACW led to the formation of the Christian-Muslim peace delegation to Nigeria in May 2012.

Between 22–26 May, 2012 an international delegation of Muslims and Christians visited Nigeria. The visit was sponsored jointly by the Jordanian Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought (RABIIT) and the World Council of Churches (WCC). The visit was proposed in reaction to the numerous incidents of fierce inter-communal strife which have affected the lives of Nigerians in the period between 2000–2012, and the awareness that—at least since the Bosnian war of 1993–1995—Nigeria is the country in the world where the most severe inter-communal violence between Christians and Muslims has been experienced.

The delegation sought to understand the reasons behind this violence. The objectives of the visit were as follows:

  1. To fact-find and investigate first-hand, impartially and credibly, the situation on the ground in Nigeria, and the various factors that have led to the present tensions.
  2. To express clearly to both the political and religious leadership in Nigeria the concern and anxiety of the international community about the current situation.
  3. To demonstrate an international model of Muslims and Christians working together in an inter-religious engagement aimed at fostering peace and harmony between people of different religions.
  4. To identify areas or projects where religious institutes, persons, texts, or messages can help ameliorate the situation in Nigeria.