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Related: About this forumHow Muslim and Christian Women in Nigeria Banded Together to Fight Violent Extremism
Posted 19 January 2015 6:30 GMT
Nigerian pastor Esther Ibanga joined with Muslim leaders in the city of Jos to call for the return of Chibok girls who were kidnapped by the extremist group Boko Haram. Credit: Women Without Walls Initiative (Willie Abok). Published with PRI's permission
But even after the Christian and the Muslim demonstrations, the violent clashes continued. At that point, Ibanga reached out to a local Muslim religious leader, Khadija Hawaja.
That's when I realized the issue is really not religion, the issue was politics. But religion was used as a very powerful tool, she says. I reached out to her and I said, Hey listen, you know we're not each other's problems. It's not about you being a Muslim and me being a Christian. These politicians are knocking our heads together. And it's all about them maintaining power.'
That's when I realized the issue is really not religion, the issue was politics. But religion was used as a very powerful tool, she says. I reached out to her and I said, Hey listen, you know we're not each other's problems. It's not about you being a Muslim and me being a Christian. These politicians are knocking our heads together. And it's all about them maintaining power.'
She could have been killed, Ibanga says. And I could have been killed also, going into a Muslim community.
After months of collaboration, Ibanga and Hawaja founded the Women Without Walls Initiative.
We want to do away with the walls that divide and separate us, whether it's the walls of social class or the wall of ethnicity or the walls of religion, she says. We really cannot join the politicians in this fight. We are mothers. We are life givers and we are solution bearers. And we think that we should bring solutions to the table, rather than dwell on the problem.
After months of collaboration, Ibanga and Hawaja founded the Women Without Walls Initiative.
We want to do away with the walls that divide and separate us, whether it's the walls of social class or the wall of ethnicity or the walls of religion, she says. We really cannot join the politicians in this fight. We are mothers. We are life givers and we are solution bearers. And we think that we should bring solutions to the table, rather than dwell on the problem.
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2015/01/19/how-muslim-and-christian-women-in-nigeria-banded-together-to-fight-violent-extremism/
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How Muslim and Christian Women in Nigeria Banded Together to Fight Violent Extremism (Original Post)
polly7
Jan 2015
OP
No one in America wants to hear good news any more , Polly, they want to rant...K and R because
Fred Sanders
Jan 2015
#1
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)1. No one in America wants to hear good news any more , Polly, they want to rant...K and R because
that has to change.
polly7
(20,582 posts)2. Thank you Fred, these women need to be heard, so brave and smart! : ) nt.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)3. Absolutely. I used to live in tropical Africa for a few years, folks have no idea how brave this is while
they all swoon over an American sniper that kills people at long range by the hundreds.