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Lekki Muslim Ummah highlights roles of Muslim in nation building

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Towards enlighten Muslims on the need to be involved in the country’s political system, Lekki Muslim Ummah (LEMU) has stressed the need for Muslims to actively participate in the formulation of policies, and enactment of laws that will affect them.

Scholars who spoke LEMU quarterly Da’war Workshop agreed that it is permissible for Muslims to vote in elections and nominate people for political sit in a democratic system of government.

The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque, Imam Ridwan Jimoh, said it is paramount to ensure competent Muslims represent the ummah at the local and national levels.

“Appoint leaders who will keep the goals of sharia, which is the protection of faith, life wealth, intellect and family. A leader that will keep the public trust, resources, command virtues and forbid vices”

Director of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Prof. Lakin Akintola, charged Muslims to go into politics to change the narratives.

“We cannot be decision-makers if we do not participate in politics. We must be part of the decision-making process of the country, the engineers of the political architecture of this country.

He condemned the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara’s, view on the Muslim-Muslim ticket, noted that Dogara Local Government could not tolerate the presence of Muslims.

“Taraba is a Muslim-dominated state and the Christian majority hold all the political position in all the local governments. Muslims were denied their inherent rights.”

The Founder of Ma’ad Al Baseerah, Dr Afeez Adeyemi, urged Muslims to be part of the decision-makers as most of the policies enacted affect Muslim families.

“There are so many precedents in Islam that justified and explain aiktiar (election).

For example, the first Khalifah in Islam, Seyidina Abu Bakr, was selected for the leadership of all the Muslim Ummah before he was giving bayat, likewise, other khalifas were selected before they were giving bayat.

He noted that a democratic system is a major form of shirks, its ruling cannot lead humans to Allah.

“Democracy is a kufr system and Muslims must be ready to preserve the law of Allah by participating in the electoral process.

This should not stop Muslims from participating in the electoral process, as long as you have the intention that all the objective of sharia would be preserved as Allah (SWT) want it. Whether you are aspiring for the presidency or governorship, you must know to have it at the back of your mind to protect the interest of sharia.”

“There is no way the present-day politics can lead one to the benefit which Allah ordained for us. It is a man-made law, though we cannot separate ourselves from the system, we must ensure that the sharia law prevails in our homes and wherever we find ourselves.”

Founder, Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative, Barrister Mutiat Orolu-Balogun, lamented the incessant harassment of Muslims in Nigeria.

“ The population of Muslims in the United Kingdom is nowhere close to the population of Nigeria Muslims but they enjoy their right. Even if Muslims were the minority in the country, their right still needs to be protected.

She noted that the issue of Identity crises is a great setback to the ummah.

“ Some Muslims don’t want to identify with Islam publicly to avoid being backlash due to media propaganda.”

The Chief Imam, Light House Muslim Estate, Imam Nojeem Jimoh said the ummah must ensure that steadfast Muslims were among the country’s decision-makers as Muslims were the most disadvantaged.

He recounted how the majority of Muslims in the United Kingdom were not denied their fundamental right through political participation.

“Sometime back in England, we paid a visit to Markfield institute and we met the director of this institute and he narrated how the institute got approval. As they want England authorities to make the institute a place of Islamic studies.

“Markfield institute is based in Leicestershire, in the United Kingdom. This was one of the places where Muslims settled earlier in England. Many Muslims live there though. First, second and third years they applied, the application was rejected and they never got government approval.

“Looking at the number of Muslim living in the community, somebody came up with an idea to sponsor a Muslim candidate to go for the local election in the next local government election and the person won.

“That is for the first time in the history of England that a Muslim became a councillor in the local authority. This was like magic to the Muslims that they could have a representative in the local authority.

“The following year they sponsored two more candidates who run against the white British people and they won again, making three candidates in the local authority the same year the planning permit was given and Markfield became a place of Islamic studies.

“This only happened because Muslims in Leicestershire, went into local politics and suddenly they began to win.”

He added that Muslims living in the UK were not denied fundamental rights despite it being a Christian state.

“In England, all Muslim children wear their hijab and it is not even discussed, let alone debated. In the year 2014 GCSE exam falls in the summer during Ramadan and UK authority postponed the math and English exam to after Ramadan because the subject is a must to pass for all students and the Muslim children will be at a disadvantage if the exam holds during Ramadan.

“Muslim female police officers wear their hijab, designed by the metropolitan police and other police forces as part of the official police uniform in England. In England, Muslim female barristers wear their Hijab to court and it is never an issue of discussion. This happens because Muslims are part of the system they did not sit back.

“Today in England we have an association called North London Housing Muslim Association, a housing provider. They came about this because Muslims in governance speak out, that there is a certain minimum standard a Muslim house must meet and the government funded the association and today they provide Islamic homes to Muslims.

“When school fees were introduced to universities in England in 2012, it was a lot of money which attract interest. Muslims spoke that they were not allowed to pay interest and the government set up a board to look into setting up a sharia compliance student loan.

“Also, you can marry in the registry and then still marry a second, third, or fourth wife in the masjid, polygamy is recognised by the law of England, if you want to marry in the mosque, the registry will come to the mosque and witness the marriage and they will record it has marriage done in the registry and this is a Christian state. Muslim polygamous marriage is recognized. This happened because Muslims are part of the government. Today this is a battle that is long won in the UK which is a Christian state and we are still fighting here in Nigeria which is a majority Muslim state.”

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