Muslims must stand up to extremist groups killing Christians in Africa. That was the message to the ABLI forum today from Ali Mustafa, Secretary General of the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC).
‘We have to deal with the misuse of Islam to justify violence against others, against Christians,’ he told the forum, held in Lilongwe, Malawi.
Citing the massacres by ISIS of Yazidi people in Iraq, he said, ‘When Yazidi people are being killed by ISIS, it’s Muslims who should stand up and say, “This is not good enough”.’
Mr Mustafa described ISIS, Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram not as religious-based groups, but as ‘bigoted individuals’.
‘Islam has been misinterpreted and misused to justify blood-letting,’ he said.
The solution, he added, was for Christians and Muslims to work together. ‘If we do not work together for peace, we will not get very far,’ he said.
Africa is dogged by seeming inter-religious violence. In Nigeria, Boko Haram abducted 219 girls from their school in Chibok last year, sparking international condemnation.
But last week, reports have surfaced of a new form of brutal jihadism in Cameroon.
ABLI
