In February this year, Muslims in Niger rioted due to the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammed in French weekly Charlie Hebdo. Hundreds of Muslims rioted burning churches, hotels and schools run by Christians.
Muslims make up about 98% of the popuation of Niger and the Christians are on the minority.
since then, leaders of the two faiths have been striving to unite again and create a better community . thios has been funded by the European Union in a plan to “Renew The Value Of Living Together” (REVE). REVE is being supervised by CARE International, an International aid organisation based in the United States.
A lot has been happening that is aimed towards religious harmony in Niger. just last week, Islamic Association of Niger (AIN) hosted a peace forum bringing together about 100 Muslim religious jurists and doctors as well as christian priests and theologians. Likewise, Roman Catholic and Christian Evangelists met for the first time to discuss.
Committees for dialogue have been set up by CARE in the different regions of the country. “Christians and Muslims mutualy enlighten each other for better peaceful coexistence according to the recommendation of both the Bible and Koran” said Ibrahim Niandou, CARE chief.