Muslims and Christians on Friday advocated inter-religious cohesion, peace and living together, during a collective break from fasting and Lent, noted the AIB.
Friday evening, Christians who have been observing Lent since February 22, 2023 and Muslims who have been fasting since March 22, 2023, organized a common break at the Réné Monory stadium in Ouagadougou.
“The organization of this collective break was to celebrate the coincidence of periods of Muslim and Christian penance and then ask the different believers to see in this coincidence something willed by God,” said the head of the organization, Moumouni Koudougou. Mouni Mouni said.
For him, the promotion of living together, understanding and inter-religious tolerance must be the business of all Burkinabè.
Mr. Koudougou specified that the initiative consists in praying for the return of peace and of internally displaced persons in their lands.
As a reminder, Burkina Faso has suffered for eight years, in several of its localities, terrorist attacks which have taken the lives of hundreds of people, caused the displacement of nearly two million people and the closure of thousands of schools and of health centers.
Moumouni Koudougou said that despite the religious differences in the country, the Burkinabè manage to get along.
“We are first Burkinabè before being Muslim, Catholic, Protestant and so on. Through this celebration, it was also a moment of sharing with our Christian brothers and sisters,” he said.
Mr. Koudougou stressed that this ceremony is also an opportunity to commune together with other religious denominations.
For him, this activity is the first of its kind, organized by young people to participate in the work of seeking peaceful coexistence between religions in Burkina Faso.
The president of the faith network in Burkina Faso, Marie Odile Traoré/Dolomwéogo, said she was satisfied with the young people's approach, which promotes social cohesion.
Ms. Traoré said she was satisfied to have heard Muslim and Christian songs sung in chorus in the same place, in order to show the acceptance of all religions in these differences in Burkina Faso.
Source: Burkina Information Agency