History dating as far back as the 5th century is literally being chipped away with pick axes and shovels at the hands of an extremist rebel faction in northernMali. Holy Muslim shrines in the ancient city ofTimbuktuhave become targets of the Ansar Dine. For the Islamist faction, the Sufi shrines are a form of idolatry.

But for many others in the overwhelmingly Muslim country, the mausoleums of Islamic saints are religiously significant, and regularly draw crowds of people, including Muslims preparing for the Hajj, or pilgrimage, toMecca. These ancient buildings and monuments — some listed by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as World Heritage Sites — are also an integral part of world history and the collective memory of the people ofMali.Timbuktu was an intellectual and spiritual capital that played an essential part of the spread of Islam across Africa’s Sahara andSahel in the 15th and 16th centuries.

A number ofTimbuktu’s sacred tombs are now gone, reduced to piles of rubble. “Repugnant” is how Irina Bokova, director-general of UNESCO, has described the vandalism. “There is no justification for such wanton destruction. I call on all parties engaged in the conflict to stop these terrible and irreversible acts, to exercise their responsibility and protect this invaluable cultural heritage for future generations.”

Still in danger are the pyramidal structures of the Tomb of Askia, as well as other religious and cultural artifacts, including 1,000-year-old Islamic manuscripts. The manuscripts — a testimony to Africa’s written history — are specific toWest Africaand unique in the Islamic world.

The United Nations has now placedTimbuktuand the Tomb of Askia on its List of World Heritage in Danger. Ansar Dine’s threats to destroy more have broughtFadima Diallo,Mali’s minister of culture, to tears. The African Union called its actions “criminal.” The new chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda of Gambia, has warned that her office will open an investigation into what she calls “war crimes,” under the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

The destruction in the fabled city follows a deepening crisis in the region since a military coup inMali’s capital in March. Separatist Tuareg rebels took advantage of the instability to proclaim northernMalian independent state. The Ansar Dine (“Protector of the Faith”) then in turn ousted the Tuareg rebels and took control ofTimbuktu.

The UN Security Council has condemned the group’s destruction and threatened to impose sanctions against it. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is seeking the Council’s support for an armed intervention to regain control of northernMali.

For hundreds of years,Timbuktuhas endured every major upheaval thrown its way, foreign invasions, armed raids, an earthquake, famine.Africaand the world are hoping that it will survive the current threat.

Hosted by the Kyiv Interfaith Forum, the April event, “Global Winds of Change: Religions’ Role in Today’s World,” explored the ability of – and need for – religions and religious leaders to shape world opinion in the wake of cataclysmic events like the “Arab Spring” of 2011.

The conference included presentations by Patriarch Teophilos III of Jerusalem, Rabbi David Rosen, president of the World Conference of Religions for Peace and “Shyne,” an international hip-hop star and practicing Orthodox Jew.  It also included two panel discussions in which Ambassador Mussie Hailu, URI’s Regional Coordinator for Africa, urged his fellow participants to make history by adopting a “Kiev Declaration for Peaceful Co-existence and Interfaith Harmony,” which calls for a universal respect for religious differences and commitment to the Golden Rule:

“We affirm that interreligious dialogue and cooperation is an integral part to promote a culture of peace and dialogue among civilizations,” the declaration says. “We affirm that our world, more than ever, needs the teaching of the Golden Rule, which says ‘Treat others the way you want to be treated’…We welcome and support the call of United Religions Initiative and Interfaith Peace-building Initiative in Ethopia (a URI member organization) for the Golden Rule Day to be proclaimed by the United Nations.”

The Center for Christian-Muslim Relations Eastleigh (CCMRE) is a newly formed center. The CCMRE pilot-project, which will be for the duration of one year (October 2011- October 2012), seeks to supplement the theoretical teaching and learning of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations (ICMR) programme offered at St. Paul’s University and in other contexts, with a more practical approach of interreligious dialogue, together with the reflection on this diapraxis. The underlying assumption behind this approach is that it will enable ICMR-students and (international) scholars to become both scholars and practitioners.

As journalist, I have been tracking the multicultural relation both cristian-muslim relations and  attended several conferences organized by the for Christian-Muslim Relations Eastleigh (CCMRE) to observe the way CCMRE is aiming to build bridges via social networking on behalf of the United Religions Initiative (URI) and enjoyed the dialogue over that interfaith meetings along with some Somali residents in Eastleigh.

On May 9, 2012, the Center for Christian-Muslim Relations Eastleigh (CCMRE) organized a one day seminar under the theme of “Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations in East Africa: A Seminar in honor of Rev. Dr. F. Peter Ford, Jr.” at least 40 participants were benefited and discussed a lot mutual concerns over dialogue duration.

“The CCMRE explores, practical, the possibilities of this diapraxis by building bridges among communities in Eastleigh and beyond; living together in every day relationships and working for peace and equal rights “said Mr.  Willem J.E. Jansen who spoke the participants and heads the CCMRE

A physical location of the Center has been identified in Eastleigh, Nairobi, Kenya at the Eastleigh Fellowship Center (EFC). On the 28^th of September 2011, the Vice Chancellor of St.Paul’s University (SPU), Prof. Galgalo, and Mr. David Amara, Director of the Eastleigh Fellowship Center (EFC) signed the Memorandum of Agreement which was prepared by one of the initiative takers, Rev. Joseph Wandera.

This marked the official start of the CCMRE-Project. Different meetings with vaious parties, such as Bishop Philip Okeyo of the Mennonite Church and the independent EFC-Board, had preceded the cooperation. From the 1^st of October onwards, SPU rented a space in the EFC at Eighth Street, Eastleigh.

Despite, Africa suffers and faced many challenges like poverty, climate change, droughts and lack of proper water and health as well as insecurity. Now the time is continuing to be ruthless one with a lot of worry and the most dangerous challenge that Africa will face on the coming season is common insecurity and civil unrest due to the religiously motivated violence, which is new phenomenon habit and gloominess in Africa at moment.

Take a few minutes to remember what had happened in Kampala city on July, 2010. Near by 100 people of world cup fans die in Uganda blasts at that time. These bombs were definitely targeting world cup crowds. Similarly, have take some seconds to remember the continued blasts against Kenyan civilians although later on Kenyan authority decided to join the fight against the violent extremism activities regionally.

In general, Africa has two radical Islamist organizations better known as Shabab and Boka-haram. Shabab is an al Qaeda-linked militant group based in Somalia that has waged war against the country’s weak transitional federal government since 2007.

Government of Nigeria is still continue the struggle for peace in Kano after a wave of attacks claimed by Boko Haram more than 160 dead and raised fresh fears of civil unrest. Boko-haram has a close relationship with Shabab in Somalia and 35 shabab fighters were joined Boko-haram on September, 2011 including prominent figures of shabab trainers according to some reliable sources.

The President of Nigeria honorable Goodluck Jonathan is battling the worst crisis of his nine-month tenure as the violence has raised fears of an all-out civil war in Africa’s most populous nation and top oil producer.

The most radicalism trader group in Africa is operating in Somalia although Somalis finally strive for lasting peace and defeated Shabab by any means in many parts of Somalia but Shabab still continue sporadic fighting’s against the government a long with AMISOM troops in across south and central Somalia.

The power of Shabab died in Somalia when after African Union peace keepers started operating in Mogadishu and Somali media decided to raise campaigns against the religiously motivated violence in the country. This caused the death of 40 journalists since 2007 while others forced to leave the country after been threatened and intimidated.

Although, coverage in Somali media of peace and development based topics, is extremely limited.  There is few number of UN funded radio stations based outside the country. Somalia has many young journalists, but their reporting interests are predominantly political, in particular reporting on inter-ethnic fighting and the civil war.

The chief editor of the BBC-Somali service Mr. Yusuf Garad Omar who is a close relative of Shabab founders especially the American’s killed late Aden Hashi Aiyrow and the current chief member of Shabab Shekh Hassan Dahir Aweys started airing falsehood and defamatory stories against the UN funded Bar-kulan radio based in Nairobi, Kenya.

The attention of the audience by members of the BBC Somali service to harm and damage the reputation and credibility of the radio Bar-kulan has earned amongst its growing audience.

The UN funded radio Bar-kulan became one of the best radio stations listened and got good reputation and fasting and incredibly growing audience with its staff paid in accordance with the international labor standards, while the BBC whose listeners were declining due to its sectarian policies, leading the BBC’s most respected and renowned journalists leave the job and was gradually losing its audience, according to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) research.

Radio Bar-kulan played a historic and vital role on the fight against violent extremism activities and the reduction of religiously based violence as well as piracy activities over Somalia.

BBC-Somali service sought in presenting such falsehood and defamatory reports against radio Bar-kulan to its audience, an opportunity which could initiate the recovery of its lost audience. NUSOJ said

Probably, Mr. Yusuf’s approach is out of BBC’s projects outline and this comes after when Somalis strive to find a lasting solution to decades of conflict through better media coverage locally and at global stage.  It comes also after when UK government convened a high level and well prepared diplomatic conference on Somalia on February 23, 2012, which made a positive impact in terms of the enhancement of the international community’s support to the political, security, humanitarian and developmental effort in Somalia.

“Intolerable acts of terror will neither advance Africa’s development nor earn Africa respect among the community of nations. It must stop. There is need to establish both local and international mechanisms to look into the root causes of such cruel behavior be it terrorism, cattle raiding or other. IFAPA (The Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa) stands ready to support every initiative led by the IFAPA Commissioners in Kenya, Nigeria and South Sudan including those of other organizations addressing the fundamental root causes of these conflicts. We encourage consultations among the religious communities, the law enforcement agencies and the government that will promote peace and reconciliation..”

Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko – in a statement reacting to the acts of terror in Kenya, Nigeria and South Sudan

Obviously, without better media coverage no one could report the daily atrocities from the radical groups in general by the way, the African religious leaders and distinguishable faith traditions in Africa needs to increase community awareness about the violent extremism with the help of the African media professionals to avert religiously motivated violence continentally.

Africa is a vast continent of incredible diversity, physical beauty and rich natural resources. Despite a tragic history of colonialism, economic exploitation and post-independence struggles, African peoples have demonstrated a spirit of determination and courage in their quest for a better future. In settings where violence, extreme poverty and life-threatening disease are very real threats, the need for non-violent change is particularly urgent.

Finally, I have to say. “The grim time and terrorism actions are common catastrophes in human goodwill and development, Africa is under the both horrors currently”.

URI Africa Joined Nigerian Government officials, clerics gathered for peace prayers in Kano  

The United Religions Initiative of Africa whose vision is to see united, prosperous, and peaceful Africa where there is no religious strife Joined the Government officials and clerics gathered for peace prayers in Kano on 24 January 2012 after a wave of attacks claimed by Boko Haram more than 160 dead and raised fresh fears of civil unrest.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, facing his worst crisis since winning April polls amid a surge in attacks by Islamist sect Boko Haram and mounting social discontent, toured Kano on Sunday and vowed to beef up security.

Several bombs were set off and gun battles raged in coordinated attacks that were launched after Friday prayers in Nigeria’s second largest city and lasted several hours.

Jonathan, after visiting the city on Sunday, said that some suspects had been arrested and that his government would track down the onslaught’s masterminds.

“We will strengthen the security in Kano and other parts of the country,” he said.

As the ancient holy Muslim city of about 4.5 million people still reeled from one of Boko Haram’s bloodiest attacks, some 200 Muslim clerics and political leaders gathered at a mosque in the palace of the city’s emir for special peace prayers.

“I will pray to God that we should never re-live the catastrophe that resulted in the deaths and maiming in our city,” Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso said.

The emir Ado Bayero told the clerics: “I join you to continue praying for peace and stability in our city. I call upon you to use any religious fora to pray for peace in our land.”

“Without peace life would not be worth living and religion itself can’t be practised.”

President Jonathan who visited the emir and inspected bombed sites on Sunday vowed the Boko Haram backers would be tracked down and made to face the law. “Those who are encouraging them, those who are sponsoring them, shall be brought to book,” he vowed.

President Jonathan is battling the worst crisis of his nine-month tenure as the violence has raised fears of an all-out civil war in Africa’s most populous nation and top oil producer.

The President of Nigeria imposed emergency rule in parts of Nigeria’s north on December 31 after a wave of violence blamed on Boko Haram, including attacks on churches on Christmas Day.

Nigeria’s supreme Muslim leader, the Sultan of Sokoto Sa’ad Abubakar, condemned the Friday attacks.

In a statement, Abubakar said the Kano “incident is perhaps the worst in terms of the loss of lives and property.”

“It is evidently clear that Nigeria is passing through a trying moment of general insecurity of overwhelming magnitude,” said the Sultan.

Friday’s strikes would be among the group’s most brazen and well-coordinated assaults by Boko Haram.