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Increasing Religious Intolerance Around The World: New Zealand As A Case Study -By Aroghalu Chidozie

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Forty nine killed in terrorist attack on New Zealand mosques e1552856377230

Reading and watching a video about how a terrorist attacked a church in the New Zealand was not only devastating but appaling. 

Not to mix up issues, I believe in God, his supremacy and I believe strongly that he did not create the world for this anomaly to happen.

I must also point out that Human Life is human life, whether Muslim or Christain, everyone has the right to life. 

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It is very painful when pretentious Christains attack Muslims and when pretentious Muslim attack Christians. I strongly believe that every man deserves nothing but peace and God is love , I believe that Islam preaches peace and Christainity does same, the puzzling question is , why then the continued killings? 

There are a thousand and one reasons that people have given to explain the killings we have witnessed contiually . While my position may be subject to debates, I believe strongly that religious leaders are not doing enough around the world to stem this violence from going on further.

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Police escort witnesses away from a mosque in central Christchurch, New Zealand, Friday, March 15, 2019. Multiple people were killed in mass shootings at two mosques full of people attending Friday prayers, as New Zealand police warned people to stay indoors as they tried to determine if more than one gunman was involved. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

You will find a religious leader who should be an ambassador of peace castigating other religions and instigating his members towards violence sometimes indirectly. 

Many of the terrorism that we have witnessed is borne out of a belief-system but the truth remains that a larger percentage of harm is done by preachings of religious leaders who do not help matters in an already fragile society.

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Sometimes preachers see this as a way to get more loyalty but they forget easily that every man’s deserves freedom to choose where to worship afterall religion is meant to make us have a saner society.

I have witnessed instances in communities where pastors and Imams keep stating things that can harm the peace of the society.

The other issues we have is the perceived supremacy of the religious settings to the law, everyone has a freedom of religion but what happens when people are ‘forced’ ? 
Thee government authorities of various countries must wake up to checkmate extremism in different climes.

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There are laws that helps to checkmate the excesses of any issue that may affect the land, the truth is basically that we must wake up as a society to reality of issues. The government must not see religious bodies or leaders as above the law, anyone found instigating violence or applauding extremism should be made to face the wrath of the law, the full one.

Is it not because we are alive that we are worshipping? 
Eventhough there is the belief that even when you die you still belong to God, does that justify the untimely killings? The senseless terrorism? 

To what end?  

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If religion cannot promote peace,  love , development , God’s like attitude,  to what end are we then having it cut brilliant minds shut?

We must not really allow incidences of myths to be a reason why we won’t be our brother’s keeper.

We need a world of peace and everyone , no matter the affiliation has a role to play in this peace that we do desire. 
Let me also point it clearly that we cannot allow babies , young male and female to die from our intolerance and intention to keep one religion above the other . 

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We must all rise up as human beings and stand for the society we desire. 

I am a Christian but I am not blinded to realities of life  , I would not support unjust behaviours, unjust killings , unjust approach to terrorism.

While we sympathise with New Zealanders we must not forget our own dear country , only if we had same outrage for killings in Nigeria like we had for New Zealand ,maybe things would have been better.

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Many Nigerians are killed daily (Christians and Muslims) , I have not seen the kind of agitation I saw for the New Zealand killing, we must condemn killings in all countries and even the ones in our own backyard. 

We must symphatise with our brothers but we cannot close our eyes to our own land .

I must  also make us all understand as individuals that we cannot keep stocking fire of enmity, I have kept seeing young educated men and women , stating that “If those killed were from the other side , they won’t call the man who shot ‘gunman’ ” but I really am pained, why can we not rise to condemn this killings together because our fellow humans were killed by a terrorist who should not be allowed to kill any other human soul. 

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We all deserve to live in a  society  we would be proud of. That singular opportunity must  not be taken away. 

I condemn in totality the killings, I call on the international community to stand firm against this killing. Pastors must condemn the killings, the Vatican must condemn the killing.

Beyond religion,  We are bound by our human existence   and that we must not lose.

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Aroghalu Chidozie 
Writes From Abuja
Chidozie.law@live.com

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