Nigerian Author Calls for Religious Tolerance, National Unity, Peaceful Coexistence

By Tgnews Reporter

A Nigerian peace advocate and social commentator, Dada Bala Zuruh, popularly known as Dan-Masanin Zhuluh, has called on Nigerians to rise above religious and ethnic divisions and embrace unity, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence as the foundation for national development.

In a thought-provoking message titled “Beyond Religious Labels: A Call for Peace, Unity, and National Progress in Nigeria,” Zuruh emphasized that Nigeria’s greatest strength lies in its rich diversity of religions, cultures, languages, and ethnic identities.

According to him, Nigerians, regardless of their religious beliefs, share a common destiny and should work collectively towards building a peaceful and prosperous nation.

“Nigeria is one of the most blessed nations in the world. Our strength lies not in having one religion, one tribe, or one culture, but in our diversity,” he stated.

The writer stressed that the Almighty Creator transcends human understanding and that no individual or group possesses exclusive ownership of divine truth. He noted that humanity existed before the emergence of modern religions and that the Creator provided the earth for all people to coexist in harmony.

Zuruh argued that peaceful coexistence is a divine principle, adding that if God intended humanity to live in perpetual conflict, societies, families, and nations would not have been created to function together.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s historical and cultural realities, he observed that many families across the country have diverse religious backgrounds, with some tracing their roots to African Traditional Religion before embracing Islam or Christianity.

He said such realities should encourage mutual respect and understanding rather than intolerance and discrimination.

The peace advocate also condemned the use of derogatory labels such as “pagan,” “kafir,” “infidel,” and other expressions often employed to stigmatize people based on their beliefs.

According to him, such language fuels division, hatred, suspicion, and violence, while undermining the dignity and humanity of fellow citizens.

Instead of viewing people of different faiths as adversaries, Zuruh identified ignorance, poverty, corruption, injustice, insecurity, and hatred as the real obstacles confronting Nigeria’s progress.

“The true enemies of humanity are not people of different faiths but the conditions that keep societies underdeveloped and divided,” he noted.

He further highlighted that the teachings of major world religions promote justice, compassion, mercy, and respect for human life, stressing that no individual has the authority to judge another person’s ultimate spiritual standing.

Drawing lessons from history, Zuruh pointed out that societies that embrace tolerance and mutual respect tend to achieve greater political stability, economic growth, educational advancement, and social cohesion.

He urged Nigerians to channel their energies towards addressing pressing national challenges such as unemployment, poor healthcare, insecurity, agricultural development, technological innovation, and good governance rather than engaging in religious hostility.

Calling for a renewed commitment to nation-building, he encouraged citizens to replace prejudice with dialogue, suspicion with cooperation, and hatred with understanding.

He maintained that every Nigerian, whether worshipping in a mosque, church, shrine, or following another path of faith, deserves the right to live peacefully and contribute meaningfully to national development.

Zuruh concluded by emphasizing that Nigeria’s future cannot be secured through religious superiority, ethnic dominance, or political manipulation, but through justice, unity, tolerance, and a shared commitment to the common good.

He ended his message with a prayer for peace in Nigeria, Africa, and the world, describing peace as a sign of wisdom rather than weakness.

“Unity is not uniformity; it is the strength of people choosing to live together despite their differences,” he stated.

His message comes at a time when many stakeholders across the country continue to advocate interfaith dialogue and national cohesion as critical tools for strengthening peace and fostering sustainable development in Nigeria.