Freedom of Belief and Religion is a basic human rights act that is recognised in all societies, this gives people the opportunity to practise what they believe without causing harm to themselves. Religion expresses belief in a higher power that preaches love, unity and acceptance with each other and encourages a unitary society that is fostered on development and growth of a nation.
Various religious groups such as traditionalists, Christians and Muslims have learned to live together and tolerate each other for the advancement of a better society.
Religion intolerance is the act of denying the right of people from another religious faith to practice and express their beliefs freely. It is expressed in discrimination, repression and religious rivalry, and results in or results from persecution and leads to war and persistent hatred between nations and between people within nations. (www.google.com)
The Nigerian society is conscious of religious intolerance and has had various reports of intolerance through clashes of one religious group with another. Political authorities employ this as a tool during elections to create rift with the citizens in order to achieve their selfish aim.
One of the reasons for intolerance is due to lack of understanding of various religious practices and the belief that the practice is harmful and detrimental to the development of the human race. In order to overcome conflicts of religious intolerance, religious leaders should teach and promote acceptance of people irrespective of their religious belief.
One of the unique features of man is that he has freedom of association to practice his beliefs without causing harm to another. Ideologies that promote separation and difference should be discouraged.
Nigeria has over three hundred ethnic groups with diverse cultures should learn to embrace and tolerate various religious groups; this translates to showing acts of love, humility and service to humanity to other members of society in different groups; public holidays and festive periods should be used to show acts of kindness and care to each other in order to rid the society of religious intolerance.
Source:https://guardian.ng/opinion/truth-about-religious-intolerance in nigeria/https://guardian.ng/opinion/truth-about-religious-intolerance-in-nigeria