VANGUARD, FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 — 53
Muslims offer special prayers for peaceful elections in Ibadan
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Jumada Al-Akhir 7, 1436 A.H.
Muslim families failed to entrench Shura principles — Abdul-Barri •Muyideen Bello, others speak By Aderonke Adeyeri
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OLLOWING our last week edition on Shura and democratic process in the lives of Muslims, other notable scholars have also added their views on the topic. Sheikh Muyideen Bello, Chairman of all Imams in the Northern States and also Chief Imam of Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria said Shura process is the best way to create a governing body in any organization as created by Prophet Muhammed (s.a.w). It cannotbecomparedwithdemocracy. Shura process entails seeking the true consent of the trustworthy members especially the elders. It is usually based on truth and competency. Even the family and neighboursofwhoeverisnominated will also have a contribution unlike democracy where only the majority carries the vote. Islamic organisations in Nigeria may not be able to practice Shura system fully due to adopted legal system or constitution. Shura can be best practiced just likethetimeofProphetMuhammed (s.a.w) in Saudi and in the Muslim Caliphate system (Khulafau Raashideen) and it is only when we practice Shura will members of Islamic organisations become enlightened.
Successful Shura practice However,Shuramustbepracticed without any form of partiality to set example and encourage Muslims. AllIslamicleadersmustworktogain the trust of their followers to have a successful Shura practice. Also, Sheikh Musa Olomu, Chief Imam of Ijaiye, Ogun state opined that Allah has enjoined all Muslims to clinch unto Shura as the only panacea to the misdemeanor of emergence of leaders who direct the affairs of men. (Qu’ran 43 v 28). The rationale for Shura is to pave the way for the rich and poor to have a voice in their leadership and governance. Also, to encourage Muslims express their opinions in matters affecting their community. The Holy prophet gave credence to the decisions of his followers during his time. At one battle, they said the battle should be outside Makkah at Badrut against his own decision. This set an example of respecting theopinionofthemajority.Members of Shura are constituted through selection based on their loyalty, sincerity and obedience to the teachings of Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w) and not through democratic process. However, Muslim leaders
•Abdul-Barri Afini need to enlighten followers on the importance of Shuraintheirdailylives through seminars, workshops, public lecturesetc.Shuramustbeimplemented inallIslamiccommunitytoenjoypeaceful co-existence. However, the Chairman, Council of Imams and Alfas, Eti-Osa, Imam Yoosuf Abdul-Barri in his view said Shura is the Islamic political system ordained by Allah and practiced by the holy Prophet and his successors. Its principals are based on mutual
•Muyideen Bello consultation. According to him, “the bases of Shura are uprightness in faith, virtues and trust overtime, required knowledge, experience, sound physical and mental health among others. It is wrong for anyone to seek or lobby for any office or position. Most Muslim organisations and families have failed to entrench the principles of Shura in their affairs,” Abdul-Barri said.
Spread true teachings of Islam, Ahmad tells Muslim journalists
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HE World Leader of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, Hazrat Masroor Ahmad has urged media practitioners of the Ahmadiyya Islamic community and Muslims in general to spread the peaceful message to the world. While addressing participants at the concluding session of the international broadcast conference and workshop at the Muslim Television Ahmadiyya headquarters in Merton, London, Hazrat Masroor Ahmad said the message of peace was important as some group of Muslims had been engaging in acts antithetical to the true teachings of Islam. He noted that the growing suicide attacks, killings and hate speeches by those who do not
understand fully the teachings of Islam orwho do not care about humanity, and other evil machinations by ISIS in the Middle East and Boko Haram in Nigeria have been a source of worry to Muslims globally . The Ahmadiyya leader said, the Islamic community is fully committed to the spread of Islam through peaceful means and establishment of social economic facilities such as schools, hospitals and other community development projects. The international broadcast conference and training reviewed developments in international broadcasting and the latest skills needed for the broadcast industry in the 21st century.
Cross section of participants at the 3rd International Broadcast Conference by the Muslim Television Ahmadiyya in London. Sitting:Hazrat Masroor Ahmad, Global Head, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (middle) among others.
HE Muslim Ummah of South-West (MUSWEN) has offered special prayers for a peaceful general elections. The special prayers which was held in Ibadan, Oyo State recently, was led by the Chief Imam of Ibadan, Sheikh Suara Haruna Speaking with newsmen at the end of the special prayer, the Secretary of MUSWEN, Prof. Dawud Noibi, said the association organised the prayer to ensure peaceful elections in the country. “The only resort Nigeria has is to call on Allah to guide us and give us peaceful elections” he said. He said that the way out in solving any problems should be through negotiation and not through crisis. “As Muslim faithful we believe that through prayer there will be peace in Nigeria and all will be well.” Noibi advised those that were eligible to vote to go out en masse, cast their votes according
to their conscience. The Chairman, Muslim Community of Oyo State, Alhaji Kunle Sanni, said that Muslims believed the elections would be credible, free and fair. “As the election is drawing near, there has been apprehension by Nigerians that the election may be marred with violence and may lead to anarchy” He urged all the ethnic militias not to attach to any political party in other to ensure free and fair elections. Alhaja Sururah Oyero, the National Public Relations Officer, Federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria, (FOMWAN), empahsised the role of women in the forthcoming elections. According to her, the role of women is to come out en masse in order to fulfill their civic obligations. “FOMWAN is calling on women to take care of their children and must not send them out to hawk at the polling units.”
SURE-P: Hope rises as GIS orientation training holds for Lagos interns
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S part of the ongoing graduate internship training programme put together by the Office of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Graduate Intensive Scheme (GIS) began a three-day orientation training for the interns in Lagos State, which was held in PSSDC, Magodo Phase II, Ikeja, in the Centre of Excellence. The programme, organised in collaboration with Axiom Learning Solutions Limited, consulting firm for the training, was attended by over 100 interns and representatives of some of their firms of attachment. In line with the Transformation of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, SURE-P office, by this training programme, have intends to ensure specific objectives which include provision of 50,000 graduates with quality work experience, improvement of job placement options by providing opportunity to acquire professional skills, high prospect of being retained after the completion of internship, graduates having a golden opportunity to prove their worth and ability to add value to place of attachment, aim of providing the enhancement unemployed and opportunity underemployed As a towards building graduate youths with government i n t e r n s h i p manpower base for national opportunities that will we can development and expose them to skills boldly say enhancement of and experiences the attainment of relevant to the current that the Vision 20:2020. labour market and purpose of The three-day enhance their mentoring employability. setting up programme is He said: “As a the i n t e n d e d government we can particularly by boldly say that the Graduate the government purpose of setting up Internship to make the Graduate otherwise Scheme is Internship Scheme unemployable which is for them to being graduate to fit acquire employability achieved into the skills is being employment achieved. Figures sector. The from the GIS portal government of indicate that 12,493 the federation is responsible for training cost firms across the country have and N30,000 monthly salary registered, to participate in the paid to each intern for the one scheme, whie 248,104 graduate have registered. This year internship period. In a speech delivered by is encouraging as it shows Miss Kemi Fatoki, on behalf of great confidence in the the Director of Graduate programme from both firms Internship Scheme (GIS), Mr. and graduates. Our vision is Peter Pakpa, during the that the GIS will be yet another opening ceremony of the example that Nigeria will sell event, GIS was described as a to the world as a way out of component of SURE-P with the graduate unemployment.