Senior Nigerian Shia cleric faults government’s neglect of education, condemns blasphemous publication

Leader of the Shiite Islamic Movement in Nigeria, His Eminence Sheikh Ibraheem says the falling standard of education in Nigeria was as a result of government’s lack of interest in the sector and misplacement of priority.

He made the statement at the Qur’anic graduation ceremony of Fudiyyah School pupils which took place in Kano on Sunday.

Sheikh Zakzaky explained that, Nigerian leaders have rendered pursuit of education as a difficult venture and inaccessible to the poor.

He cited example of other countries where through communal effort, children study without any form of stress with all ingredients necessary for learning provided under conducive environment.

He said, rather than focusing on important aspects of human development such as education, Nigerian leaders would rather give more weight to personal development projects relegating collective national interest to the background.

His Eminence further stated that, the best legacy parents and the society can bequeath to children is education. “Nothing is supreme or mightier than education”, he added.

On Qur’anic education, Sheikh Zakzaky said Muslims in Nigerian are well known and respected in Qur’anic memorization saying, the government’s neglect of education is affecting effective pursuit of Qur’anic education.

He explained that, the Islamic Movement through the Fudiyyah Schools, is spearheading significant development in preserving culture of Qur’anic recitation and memorization by showcasing genius young memorizers.

The Leader reiterated his earlier call on administrators of Fudiyyah Schools in Fulani settlements, to establish Qur’anic memorization schools in all hamlets so that the culture is preserved and its impact felt in all nooks and crannies of the society.

While enumerating the virtues associated with memorizing the Holy Qur’an and abiding by its dictates, His  Eminence said only through that and demonstration of unquantified love for the Holy Prophet, which he described as a “Walking Qur’an”, salvation can be attained.

A total of sixty-one (61) children of Fudiyyah Primary Schools, out of them 21 are females, memorized the Holy Qur’an in Kano.

The children were drawn from four different Schools run by the Islamic Movement as follows: 38 students from Fudiyyah Rijiyar Lemo, Kano; 15 from Fudiyyah Shanono Local Govt., Area, Kano state; 4 from Fudiyyah School Kwana Hudu, Kano and 4 from Fudiyyah School Suleja.

A nine year-old, Yasir Lawal, displayed an extra ordinary talent for his ability to state and explain exact pages of verses in the Qur'an when read by a reciter. Gwani Mukhtar Bachirawa and representative of the National Chairman of the Association of the Memorisers of the Holy Qur'an, Gwani Lawi tested the graduating children.

Sheikh Zakzaky lamented that, the government is not only neglecting and destroying Qur’anic education, it is now engaged in killing Muslims, reciters of the Holy Qur’an.

Lending his voice to the global concern by Muslims over the blasphemous publication by a Paris-based magazine, Charlie Hebdo on the personality of the Prophet of Islam, Leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, His Eminence says, the publication was another way of striking at Muslims and Islam where it really hurts.

He said, enemies of Islam have come to realize that, “the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet of Islam still lives with the rapid expansion of the divine message the Prophet by way of the Holy Qur’an and instilled in the hearts and memory of people, which has become a threat to global arrogance and injustice, and therefore found a new way of striking at his personality”.

According to him, the unfortunate action by Charlie Hebdo was Salman Rushdie reincarnate through covert operation, whereby the perpetrators decided to use their people to instigate violence and execute the violent action and attributed it to Muslims to justify their insidious intent of portraying Islam as a religion of terror.

Sheikh Zakzaky further explained that, the subsequent gathering of world leaders to condemn the planned attack on staff of the magazine was a clear manifestation of the evil intent, as well as open support to the blasphemy on Islam. “The global reaction by Muslims has shown that, the Muslims are fully awakened and hold Islam and its Holy Prophet in high esteem. Their great concern is the growing number of Muslim converts in Europe and across the world, and therefore wants to discourage it”.

He pointed out that, such atrocities in the name of Islam is being witnessed on daily basis in Nigeria with the same objective. “How could Muslims detonate bombs in mosques, kill fellow Muslims and destroy their settlements because they want to establish an Islamic state? This is clear fallacy and ridiculous. This is ridiculing Islam, the message brought by Prophet Muhammad and the kind of society he established!” he queried.

His Eminence said, all the reports and videos on the activities of the faceless Boko Haram terror cell in Nigeria were presented to the people by government agencies and therefore said, “It is the same Jonathan government that is launching the attacks in the name of Islam and Muslims. This administration in conjunction with their foreign masters, have declared war on Muslims, and we assure them Islam will eventually triumph no matter the level of atrocity committed on it and length of time taken”.

Sheikh Zakzaky said, the whole aim of the global misrepresentation of Islam was to ridicule the message brought by Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), in order to discourage and suppress its spread.

He therefore advised Muslims to be united and not to give room for division, in order to effectively face the challenges, and cautioned Muslims on using the same language and manner used by their enemies to retaliate or respond to any misconduct.



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