News Release

Islamic Cleric Affirms: “We Are All Children Of God”

The National Public Affairs Council of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently met with  Sheik Abdul-Raham Olanrewaju Ahmad, a well respected Muslim Cleric, with a view to identifying opportunities of common interests for interfaith community services and on matters of religious freedom.

Sheik Abdul-Raham Olanrewaju Ahmad is the Master Missioner of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria and abroad. He also holds membership in the National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, National Interfaith Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (NACA), Interfaith Advisory Committee Against Corruption to the EFCC and the Chairmanship of the Movement Against Corruption (MAC) and many others.

The visit was to deliver a letter of invitation from International Centre for Law and Religion Studies to participate in a conference on “Religion, Democracy, and Civil Society”, to be held on October 7-10, 2012 at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America.

The Area Public Affairs Director, Adesina Olukanni, commended Sheik as a “cleric whose teachings, writings and views buttressed his belief in peaceful co-existence of all faiths irrespective of tribes or social standings.” He also noted that the Sheik’s teachings have also gone a long way in encouraging faithful Muslims to live peaceably with all men in their various communities.

In his response, Sheik reconfirmed his belief in the peaceful coexistence of personalities. He further said, “We are all children of God, and as such, we are free to live our lives in peace with one another”.  

Receiving his invitation to the symposium from Adesina Olukanni, Sheik expressed gratitude to the organizers of the Symposium and for finding him worthy to participate. He promised to attend the symposium and contribute immensely.

Each year since 1994, the Center has hosted a symposium devoted to the discussion of law and religion. To date, more than 900 government, academic, and religious leaders and visitors from 120 countries have met together to discuss principles of religious liberty and to explore mechanisms to better implement these principles.

Brother Olukanni was accompanied on the visit by Abiodun Bakare and Ikechukwu Ibe, Assistant Directors in charge of opinion leaders and media respectively.

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