Practice what you preach, religious leaders urged

GASABO - The Executive Secretary of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC), Fatuma Ndangiza, has urged Religious leaders in the country to keep the moral flames burning by being exemplary to the people they lead. Ndangiza said this on Thursday during a meeting which brought together NURC and religious leaders that took place at Hotel Novotel, in Gasabo District. “Religious leaders have a great role to play in uniting and reconciling Rwandans. But in doing so, they should act as examples by taking the first step in practicing what they preach to the people,” reiterated Ndangiza. She stressed that religious leaders have the mandate to reach out to the people since they are the ones who have a greater community outreach. “We want to mobilize the religious leaders to help the government and NURC in the reconciliation process due to their greater community outreach. Through them, it would be easy to reach out to families since the genocide ideology starts in families,” she emphasized. The main objectives of the meeting, according to Ndangiza, were to identify the roles of religions in implementing the government policy on unity and reconciliation and to create a platform where the activities of the NURC and the religions can be coordinated. Speaking at the meeting, Antoine Rutayisire, a pastor and a commissioner in the NURC, emphasized that religious leaders have the ability to change the people because they are the ones who can easily get in contact with them than the government. After the meeting, a forum was formed which will be bring together NURC and religious leaders to foster unity and reconciliation in the country. Ends