Abuja: The Sultan of Sokoto, Sultan Saad Abubakar, has enjoined citizens of the world in general and Africa in particular to embrace peace and dialogue. Dr. Danladi Bako, a former Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Abubakar stated this during a two-day Muslim World Leaders Conference in Oxford, England. He emphasized that peace and dialogue are essential for social harmony and peaceful co-existence. The Sultan highlighted that the world would be more peaceful, stable, and prosperous with dialogue among various actors involved in current world challenges.
Abubakar reiterated that Islam remains a religion of peace with an emphasis on dialogue, which he intends to continue promoting. He urged that social harmony and peaceful co-existence should be guiding principles, as Islam is fundamentally a religion of peace.
The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, an independent centre affiliated with the University of Oxford, was established in 1985 for advanced research into Islam and Muslim societies. The centre focuses on promoting interfaith dialogue, inter-civilisational understanding, Islamic finance, environmental issues, fellowships, scholarships, and the growth of Muslim youths in Britain.
The Sultan attended the conference along with other leaders to mark the 40th anniversary of the centre’s creation. The event, which included an Annual General Meeting of the Centre’s Board of Trustees, was declared open by the Centre’s Grand Patron, King Charles III. The conference was also attended by the former President of Turkey, Abdullah Gul, Saudi Prince Turki Al Faisal, and Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak, Malaysia.