Varsity Don tasks journalists to promote religious tolerance

The Acting Head of Department, Arabic and Islamic studies, University of Ibadan, Dr. Afis Oladosu has tasked media practitioners in Nigeria to promote religious tolerance in their reportage of religious events.

Delivering year 2013 annual Ramadhan lecture of the Oyo state council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) titled "The Cross, the Crescent and Fourth Estate of the Realm", Dr. Oladosu said the move becomes imperative in view of the power of the media, which if not well managed, could fan ember of disunity and ultimately cause religious war.

Oladosu specifically recalled the inglorious write up of Isioma Daniel of This Day Newspaper who in 2002 wrote an article wherein she denigrated holy Prophet Muhammed which nearly caused war by her position that the Prophet, were he alive, could marry one of the beauty pageants, querying why muslim community kicked against 'pageant show' which coincided with Ramadhan of that year.

He decried the promotion of ethnic, tribal and religious media outfit by some sections of the country, which to him, was capable of causing disintegration of the country along the North, South dichotomy.

The Islamic scholar warned against promotion of stories and write ups like "Muslim fanatics on rampage", "Muslim fundamentalist have gone beserk", "The shame of Sharia in Zamfara" and others which impugn on the integrity and holiness of the two prophets of leading religions; Islam and Christianity, Muhammed and Jesus Christ respectively.

The varsity Don then who queried the media on "why promoting disharmony and religious acrimony between muslim and christian population".

He admonished them to always cross check their facts and stick to the ethics of journalism by ensuring strict adherence to balance reporting, accuracy, compassion, sensitivity and avoid arrogance in their works while at the same time respect the privacy of every individual.

To constantly guide against acts capable of causing crisis among adherents of different religions, the lecturer tasked journalists to avoid negative reporting and be conscious of what the aftermath of their write ups, video and audio broadcast could be, just as he urged them to also seek knowledge about other religions.