Franciscans, Muslims working for peace in Nigeria

St Francis of Assisi

On a day in which Boko Haram bomb attacks left more than 150 people dead in Nigeria, Sister Janet Fearns from Missio, has sent us this report on how Franciscans and Muslims are working for peace - with an 800 year-old example to show them the way!

In 1219, St Francis of Assisi, alone and unarmed, astounded the warring armies of Damietta's besieged Crusaders and the Saracens when he walked into the Saracen camp and asked to speak to the Sultan, Melek al-Kamil. Francis had a problem which he wanted to discuss: pilgrims wanted to visit the Holy Places and were prevented by the constant battles between the Christians and Muslims in Egypt. The pilgrims needed unhindered access to the sacred sites, regardless of whatever was happening around them. The Sultan agreed and so, for 800 years, that tiny joint venture in peace-making has been a treasured memory for both Franciscans and Muslims.

The Damietta Peace Initiative (DPI) came into being in 2008 and is an amazing Franciscan-Muslim cooperation which arose as both Franciscans and Muslims reflected upon this unlikely meeting. There are an estimated 12,000 Franciscans in Africa, but in 2008, in true Franciscan fashion, they started small. If Christians and Muslims were to cooperate in little ways, bit by bit, they could help to bring about peace and dialogue. Each small act of love and understanding could help to build something big and beautiful.

The Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDMs) have been involved in the DPI from the start. They already enjoyed many years of practical experience of Christian-Muslim dialogue as a result of their work in Palestinian refugee camps in Amman, Jordan, where several Sisters became fluent Arabic speakers, able to see and understand Islam 'on the inside'. They also had 60 years of unbroken presence in the predominantly Muslim north of Nigeria, again caring for the poor regardless of their religious belief. In Jos, a principal city in northern Nigeria, the Sisters are extensively involved in pastoral work and health care in the prisons and young offenders' institutions where everybody is in need.

The shared projects of the DPI might seem tiny, but, on a local scale, they are massive. For instance in Jos, Christians and Muslims discovered that they were united by a common love of football and of music, so they deliberately came together to form a football team and a choir which even succeeded in recording a CD.

Before the latest outbreak of anti-Christian violence in northern Nigeria, at a meeting in Jos, a Muslim participant complained that the conflict has disrupted his friendship with a Christian who is "more than a blood brother". Whereas they used to live peacefully in school and at home, this is no longer possible because of the recent tensions. Neither can children of different ethnic and religious backgrounds come together in peace, a situation which feeds fear, mistrust and prejudices. They needed help to begin to dialogue, to share their common values and to appreciate each other.

Peter Maji works with the FMDM Sisters with the DPI, is very enthusiastic about their efforts. "I can go on and on. We sincerely hope to get better!" he declared. "I want to think it is making an impact... I like the phrase 'Slowly but Surely'. We have witnessed important growth in the area of building relationships, especially in some of the local villages and in parts of Jos where there was previously trouble. In fact some communities have not been involved in conflict since our cohesion
activities with them began. Our ability to enter into every community, especially those termed as volatile, testifies to our community and grassroots acceptance. The annual football tournament, 'Harmonious Kicks' keeps getting better and bigger whilst the commitment, especially from those who hitherto were anti-dialogue and are now enablers is mind-blowing! We are Christians, but our acceptance in Muslim communities is commendable."

Maji's enthusiasm is infectious. If only peace-building were always as straightforward as a game of football! Speaking on the phone from Jos, Sr Celsus Nealon FMDM, who has lived and worked in Nigeria for 47 years, said that the current situation is complex and confusing. Most 'ordinary' Muslims cannot understand the fundamentalism of the Boko Haram, a small fanatical group blamed for instigating the latest violence. "Their version of Islam bears no resemblance to the real meaning of Islam as a religion of peace. Part of the problem is that they have infiltrated Government, the police and other organisations and have thereby become unidentifiable. There seems to be no doubt that some violence was instigated by youths who were paid to start riots."

"Another problem is that nobody really knows if it is the Boko Haram who are responsible for all the trouble or whether others have just cashed in on the opportunity. Yes, there have been churches which have been attacked, but there is also a story, as yet unconfirmed, that one church was protected by a group of Muslim youth who surrounded the building in order to defend it."

Sr Dorothy Johnson, an FMDM from Solihull, added, "Hopefully, the President's reversal of the unjust increase in fuel prices, which would have unduly affected the poor, will restore some semblance of peace and normality. The Boko Haram promised that there would be no bombing until the strikes were over. What will happen after the strikes finish? Will they resume the violence? Nobody knows. It is a very complex and ongoing issue because education is one of their key concerns. They have attacked both Christians and liberal Muslims in their belief that Western-style education is not to be tolerated."

"Religion is not always the reason for violence. Sometimes the dispute is about the ownership of land, especially when indigenous Christians are displaced by the majority, newcomer, Muslims. Some disputes date from the 19th century and are unlikely to be settled soon."

"The DPI is making a difference and building trust between Christians and Muslims. We are only taking one tiny step at a time, but if only two people are talking and understanding each other better, it is progress."

Sr Celsus commented, "We are not afraid to stay here and the FMDM Sisters have no intention of leaving Nigeria, even though we were given the option. The Sisters are well-known because of all the work we do in the prisons. We think we are safe. We are not afraid and in any case, how could we leave these people when they need us? We have made many friends, including the Christians and Muslims involved in the Damietta Peace Initiative, who would warn us if something was going to happen."

Today there are an estimated 25milion baptised Catholics in a Nigerian population of 155 million. Missio has enjoyed long and extensive contact with the dioceses throughout Nigeria, supporting them through thick and thin, thanks to the generosity of the many supporters in parishes up and down England and Wales. Mgr Canon James Cronin, the National Director of Missio in England and Wales, is deeply conscious of the special links between the Catholic Church in Nigeria and in England and Wales.

Missionaries have been present in Nigeria since at least 1833. "Missio will continue to be there for the people of Nigeria", he promised. "During the difficult times that the Church is currently experiencing there, we pray for peace and understanding, that Christian and Muslim will be able to live together and appreciate the richness of each other's religious traditions."