KADUNA: Muslim sect, Shi’ites, attend Christmas church service with Christians, share gifts

Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), popularly known as Shi’ites, on Sunday, surprised many by attending a church service in Zaria, Kaduna State, where they exchanged gifts with Christians celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas day.

At the Christmas church service held at the Church of Brethren in Nigeria, (Ekkelisiyar `Yan Uwa Ta Nigeria), Samaru, Sabon Gari, Zaria, the radical Muslim group said attending the church service was “a sign of love and efforts to strengthen religious tolerance.”

The group also said presenting gifts to the church members was to further foster love and boost religious tolerance between the two faiths.

The leader of the Muslim sect, Prof. Isah Mshelgaru, who spoke to journalists after the service, said the essence of attending the service was to rejoice with Christians on the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

“Islam says if someone is not your brother in faith, he is your brother in humanity, and we share this humanity with everybody, whether Muslim, Christian or whatever,” Mshelgaru said.

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“We decided to attend this church service because today is Christmas day, a day that the birth of Jesus Christ is being celebrated over the globe and we feel that we also have our concern to share with them, the feelings of the day Jesus was born.

“The coming of Jesus to this world is a blessing to everybody, so we wish that we should come and celebrate this glorious day with them.”

The church’s Resident Pastor, Rev. Tijjani Chindo, who also spoke to newsmen, said the church received the Muslims with joy and appealed for the replication of the gesture across the country.

The IMN has had bloody confrontations with Nigeria’s security forces, especially the police and army over the years, with many killed and many more injured. It’s leader, Ibrahim Zakzaky and his wife were arrested and detained for a long period of time.

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