Clerics, activists, call for unity among Muslims

…Insist on use of Hijab in schools

Penultimate  Sunday, Islamic scholars from all walks of life including Politicians  and  Human rights activists  gathered at D.C. Primary school, Araromi,   Iwo Local Government Secretariat, Iwo, Osun State for the 20th anniversary of  the Jama’atul Ta’wunil Muslimeen Society of Nigeria  known as “Ta’awun”.

The event with the theme: “20 years of Struggle for Renaissance of the Nation” gathered the arrays of Islamic faithful  across the country.

The   programme also  witnessed the recitation from the Holy Qur’an, and short speech from Ta’awunu departments and groups.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Imam of Iwoland, Alhaji Mudathir Akinlade congratulated the leaders and members of the group for the feat they have recorded over the years. He urged then to put more effort in peaceful propagation of Islam across the length and breadth of the land, declaring the support of Muslims in Iwoland for the Islamic organization.

Comrade Amitolu Shittu who doubled as Director General Worldwide of “DE RAUFS” ,blamed the frequent newspaper report on the insinuation that Governor Rauf Aregbesola was planning to Islamize Osun State. Shittu described the alleged security report on the administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola  as a way to cause confusion and disunity among the people of the State.

Addressing the mammoth gathering, the Executive Secretary ,Muslim Ummah

of South West Nigeria, an umbrella body that embraces Muslim organizations and institutions operating in the South Western part of Nigeria, Professor Daud Noib who brings the Goodwill message of the group to the event, prayed for long live and good health for the promoters of the organization.

He said :” they are following the commandment of Almighty Allah by the formation of the association through the spreading of Islamic tenets. I therefore call  them to join hands together to continue in their good work for  the growth and development of Islam, the religion of peace in Nigeria.”

On hijaab crisis, Professor Noibi said all hands must be on deck as the use of Hijab was the commandment from Allah that every Muslim women must use Hijab to cover their head. The issue is not supposed to cause any crisis when they were not forcing other religion faithful women to use it.

The University Don further stressed that the Bible of Christians also support the use of Hijab by women. He urged Christians particularly their leaders to allow peace to reign in the Osun State Secondary Schools.

“MUSWEN totally and strongly support the use of Hijab by Muslim students in the schools in the State and beyond .  However,  I  am urging all Muslims to be patient and show high level of perseverance while dealing with other faithful believers’’.  Speaking on the forthcoming National conference, Professor  Noibi faulted the non-inclusion of Muslims among the fifteen persons forwarded to represent the region in the conference by the Yoruba Leaders.

He said :“Muslim Communities from Southwest Nigeria were not happy with this development and promised to correct the anomaly meted out to Muslim. Our leaders should seek the face of Allah in whatever they are doing and later salute the courage of Ta’awun for being steadfast in propagation of Islam.”

In his message at the event,   Osun State Chairman of Muslims Community, Sheikh Salahudeen Olayiwola advocated for use of Hijab by  Muslim Students in Secondary school in the State.

He maintained that the Muslims in the State would strive to ensure that the State government accept their request on the use of Hijab in schools. He called on Muslim Ummah to ensure that their wives cultivate the habit of using Hijab at home, if they want the Muslims to win the war on use of Hijab.

His Oyo State counterpart, Alhaji Kunle Sanni while making his goodwill messages at the gathering, advised the Muslim community in the State to be diligent and patient in championing their rightful cause.

Alhaji Sanni maintained that governor Aregbesola had fulfilled all the promises made for the Christian community in the State and the governor is yet to fulfil a single promise to the State Muslims community and despite this development, Muslims in the State are still in support of the present administration in the State.

His words:” I want Muslims in Osun State to be patient in fighting for their legitimate rights. I also want to urge Muslims  to stand on the side of truth and not to be provoked by the enemies of Islam”.

The Islamic Scholar also condemned the homo sexual agenda of Western countries in Nigeria, saying that Islam as a religion reject bad and ungodly character.

National President of the Organization,Sheikh Daood Imran Molaasan insisted on the use of Hijab by Muslim students in the State ,saying that the group would have engaged other religion faithful on the issue if not for the timely intervention of the Muslim leaders in the State which they held in high esteem.

Sheikh Molaasan further said that the organization has been misunderstood on many occasions as anti-Christ and terrorist but stated that the group never wage war against other religious faithful because there is no compulsion in Islam.

He further said : “ We want to get people closer to Almighty Allah, we want to create peace in places where there are crisis and injustice and facilitate progress.”

Speaking on the formation of the group on February 28th, 1994, the Islamic scholar maintained that the Islamic Organization started with “ideology of Islam, we think of Islam and our nation. We started as a result of the absence of  ideal Islamic understanding and unstable condition of Muslim Ummah. We started calling people to Islam in order to understand Islam as a remedy to tackling human problems in our society.

According to him: “ we  did  not come   in to existence    by  accident but a planned , focused and determined movement, moving with a mission and vision to rescue this generation and ones to come from the shamble of oppression and down grading of human values .it is aimed to cement spiritual elevation with pristine  civilization through balanced  education to accomplish the real  transformation.”