THE period of Ramadan is exceptional for a Muslim. It is used for spiritual rejuvenation, atonements and commitments to good deeds. It is a period set aside to burn cholesterol of sin and forge a way forward on how to be a better person in the society. At the end, the sanctimonious period helps in keeping the mind focused on the spiritual .

We must go back to the deep recess of our minds to evaluate that insecurity, hate, intolerance that has characterised relationship between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. If our religious beliefs preach peace, then where is the searing hate component coming from?

We owe ourselves a social duty to remember that each time we hate based on religious dissimilarity, we invariably allow hate to preach vile against the very good our religious underpinning stand for. It is indeed interesting to note that Christianity and Islam do not preach hate. Those who peddle hate are therefore the real unbelievers.

I recall in the late 1980s and early 1990s how we celebrated Christian and Muslim religious festivities. I recall that as kids growing up, Sallah and Christmas fiestas were periods we adorned our best clothes. Families exchange foods and visits. After eating the best meals of the day, we embark on compulsory visitations to residences of our friends, community neighbours for N50k, one Naira handouts.

Time seems to have eroded all the sweet tradition of brotherliness.Time has built religious walls and we are all caged in it. Bigotry is now the new religion.

The religious wall in the country today is partly caused by politicians, bigoted preachers, social anomie, and psychological disaster of allowing all the causative factors affect us. orientation.

The Eid Al Fitr celebration must not be significant only to Muslims. None Muslims must observe it as a testament to our religious diversity. Favourable perception must be accorded people from other religious backgrounds if we must reverse the concrete walls forming jungle of hate, violence in our society.

 Israel Ebije, ebijeo5@gmail.com or @israelebije.com