Sultan, CAN to Nigerians: Reject hate speech, embrace dialogue

The appeal came as Christian and Muslim leaders converged on Abuja to unveil the Interfaith Code of Conduct (ICoC), a landmark framework aimed at combating hate speech, promoting responsible religious leadership and strengthening peaceful coexistence amid growing concerns over violence and polarising rhetoric.

Held as part of the 8th General Assembly of the IDFP under the theme ‘Hate Speech and Violence: The Role of State and Non-State Actors in Nation-Building,’ the conference drew Christian and Muslim clerics, government officials, peacebuilding practitioners, civil society groups, journalists, women and youth leaders to examine practical ways of countering religious tensions and harmful narratives.

According to the organisers, the Code emerged from a Nigerian-led interfaith process supported by KAICIID and outlines ten core values for Christian-Muslim engagement, including mutual respect, protection of human dignity, peaceful conflict resolution, justice, integrity, transparency, compassion and the rejection of hate speech.