A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in Lagos State, Ambassador Abayomi Nurain Mumuni, has on Tuesday urged Islamic preachers to be mindful of their utterances, avoid hate speech and preach love in their sermons during Ramadan.
Mumuni, a senatorial aspirant for Lagos Central district in the 2019 general elections on the platform of APC, urged preachers to remain sensitive to current happenings in the country and be conscious of security of their listeners in mosques and public functions during the Ramadan period.
The APC stalwart gave these charges in a statement signed by his media aide, Mr. Rasheed Abubakar, a copy of which was made available to DAILY POST on Tuesday.
The gubernatorial candidate of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), in 2011 elections in Lagos State in the statement also enjoined Muslims to use the holy month of Ramadan “to pray for global peace, as well as live with their neighbours in peace and tranquillity, irrespective of religion, ethnicity and other differentials.
He called on Nigerian Muslims to remain conscious of their safety at public functions as they observe their religious rites during the holy month of Ramadan.
Mumuni said, “If we all adhere to the teachings of the Holy Books, the Qur’an and the Bible to be precise, on unity, tolerance and diversity, the insecurity and killings that foul the global landscape would be a thing of the past.
“It is particularly sad that Ramadan dawned on us all at a time Nigeria, and indeed the world at large, is grappling with the burden of insecurity. Attacks in Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, by Boko Haram terrorists, armed bandits and kidnappers have become rife, while on the global scene, the Sri Lanka bombings, the New Zealand mosque attacks, and the repeated attacks on churches, mosques, synagogues and schools in the U.S. immediately come to mind,” Mumuni added.
He enjoined Islamic scholars to be mindful of their utterances, avoid hate speech and preach love in their sermons during Ramadan.
While freedom of speech is largely the norm in Nigeria, Ramadan preachers, according to Mumuni must remain sensitive to current happenings and ensure the security of their mosques and lecture venues at all times.
He said, “If need be, security guards and CCTV facilities should be deployed at such venues, to ensure adequate monitoring of all movements and happenings.
“While it is important to be personally and collectively responsible for our security, Muslim faithful must resist the urge to take the law into their hands in cases where they apprehend suspected assailants.
“Jungle justice is absolutely forbidden according to Islamic teachings, and as such, such suspected attackers must only be handed over to the law enforcement agents so that justice will run its course.
“In the final analysis, what all Muslims seek is the acceptance of their fasts and Ibadah (worship) from Allah (SWT). May He accept our worship and increase us in material and spiritual means, during and after Ramadan.”
