Leader of the Shiite Islamic Movement in Nigeria, His Eminence Shaikh Ibraheem Zakzaky says adolescent age is a very critical and sensitive period, and therefore should be molded and geared towards service of the Creator.
He made the statement at the close of a three-day seminar organized by the Youth Forum of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, held on Saturday at the Fudiyyah Islamic Centre, Danmagaji, Zaria.
Shaikh Zakzaky who described youths to include those in their twenties and above said, those in the age of forty (for males) and 33 years (for females) should not be seen as youth, as they passed the stage of adolescence.
He charged the youths on good moral conduct and strict molding of the soul and flesh in dedicated service to Allah, saying it was a period of opportunity that cannot be re-captured if lost.
His Eminence also said, the use of force in impacting ideas at this age was unnecessary, but that appeal should be made to consciousness of the youths to do the right thing.
According to him, “It is a critical stage when they can make or mar their lives. Youths are also the target of Satan and enemies used to destroy the society”.
Shaikh Zakzaky explained the hard and software strategies being used by the enemies to destroy the society, of which the youths are best form of the software strategy.
He explained how they indulged youths, especially young girls in social vices, popular cultures, bad films, drugs and phonography as a sort of enticement towards disintegration of the society.
“They target young girls knowing fully that, young girls will one day become mothers, and that mothers play significant role in proper upbringing of the family and the society in general”.
The Leader narrated how after the chemical weapon attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan by the United States and its allies, the Japanese dedicated themselves to full integration of the youths in technology.
As a result of the effort, he pointed out, Japan today excelled far above US in technological advance to the extent that the U.S. has become subservient to Japan in that aspect.
He added that, with no option to wage war on Japan, the U.S. now focuses on how to disorient the good moral conduct of young Japanese girls through the software strategy. “The Japanese people are orderly people, who hold firm unto good moral and social attributes. Penetration can be very difficult”.
Shaikh Zakzaky however lamented how western countries found Nigerians easy prey to such delusions, in which they use both hard and software unhindered and to the admiration of the gullible citizens.
He also blamed parents for moral disintegration of the youths through neglect and not living up to their responsibilities, saying for each parent a particular obligatory responsibility that must be accomplished for overall development of the child.
His Eminence therefore charged youths to internalize good conduct with full consciousness of doing the right thing. “Imbibe in your consciousness the spirit of doing the right thing so that it becomes part of you, and it will remain with you forever”.
He also called on them to be good ambassador of the Islamic Movement being the majority. “People see you more often in the Movement, and judge the Movement by your action. Your presence is a sign of hope of good things to come, therefore be our pride, not the opposite”.
Coordinator of the Youth Forum Hafizu Dauda, thanked Shaikh Zakzaky for honouring the invitation, by which he said the event was blessed.
He said, Youths from different parts of the country participated in the seminar such those from Bayelsa, Port Harcourt and other parts of the country attended the seminar.
He also thanked all the speakers for their inspiring lectures that will be documented for future reference.
During the three-day event, several speakers spoke on different topics.
Malam Abdul-Hamid Bello was the first speaker. Malam Mukhtar Sahabi spoke on the role of youth in the attempts to suppress the Islamic Movement in Nigeria; Mother of Martyrs, Malam Zeenatuddeen (Ummus Shuhad’u) Ibraheem spoke significance of Hijab in Islam; Sheikh Muhammad Mahmud Turi traced the history of Islamic struggle in Nigeria to date.
Other activities included drama presentation, debate, and prayer sessions.
The seminar was the sixth in the series.
