INTRODUCTION
For far too long, Muslims in this country (Ghana) have left too much to
chance; it is as though we are meant to accept whatever situation that
exists hook, line and sinker; yet we boast of a number of influential
Muslims at every rung of the social ladder.
There are Muslims replete in politics, in business, corporate Ghana,
within academia, in the media, sports and other areas of the social
fabric, yet are we exerting ourselves that much: I beg to say a
categorical NO (myself am inclusive)
We have sat by so much so that, this country is now being classified as
a Christian nation and we are always left disputing figures put out
about our numbers as Muslims – a typical case in point being after the
2000 census; indeed pointers from the result of the 2010 exercise, we
just might be headed down the same path.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Clearly we find ourselves in a cosmopolitan society wherein our
relations to non-Muslims should at all times and in all situations be
cordial; at least as per how the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah be pleased
with him) lived with the people of Makkah even after the conquest of the
city of his birth.
In another vein, is it not right to state that there always is a limit
to which we can go as Muslims in our association with those on another
line of faith; especially so as Islam preserves to the latter the
privacy of a person even in death.
That privacy however is flouted shamelessly at most public mortuaries
where Muslim corpses whoever they are, are stripped naked by non Muslim
caretakers (mind you it’s unlawful even to Muslims), tossed all over the
floor and to say the least; DISGRACED!
The establishment of Islamic/ Muslim mortuaries stands as the solution
to the unislamic ambience that Muslim corpses are put through at the
public mortuaries coupled with the back and forth that Muslims
experience at mortuaries when they go to claim their dead for burial.
Did we as Muslims forget that it was WRONG according to sharee’ah
(Islamic tenets) to mix males and females even in prayer and similarly
even in death; this is the state of affairs at most public mortuaries in
the country.
PATHOLOGY ISSUE/SOLUTION
We have for long been viewed as people opposed to pathological analysis
of our dead (i.e. autopsy), that certainly is a misplaced conception
especially as our motivation to get our dead in time is to bury them as
per Islamic guidelines. Truth be told, the time for some of these
autopsies have dragged to the chagrin of many a family in need of their
dead.
Again, there comes a solution which would have to be tied with the
establishment of the morgue above proposed. Muslim medical students must
be encouraged to study pathology and be assigned to the Islamic morgue
in order to undertake pathology along Islamic lines and timely to afford
corpses to be given fitting burial.
Although the act of preparing, praying for and burying the Muslim dead
is considered a responsibility of the group (Fardh Kifaayah), it was
important to know how it was done in case a person is called upon to do
it at anytime.
The Quran states clearly that ‘every soul shall taste death,’
consequently everyone of us must make it a point to lead a God conscious
life in order to meet Allah when we are amongst the faithful, death
would come but would we be prepared?
The point critical in pursuance of this great dream is that we provide a
shield for our departed Muslim brethren, against the hope that we would
get same in the eventuality that we pass on to the hereafter.
CEMETARIES
Beyond asking for a fitting place and respectable status to be provided
for Muslim corpses, let us as Muslim bend over and look at the nature
of the place that the Muslim dead is finally sent to rest: THE KABR,
GRAVEYARDS, CEMETARIES.
These are places that the Prophet has admonished us to visit frequently
in order that we may increase in piety much as we think of death, that
again is not the case sadly. We go there either to bury or when it is
that we are being sent to be buried.
At least I can speak confidently of three cemeteries; the infamous
Awudome, Akweteyman and Legon grounds that are almost always overgrown
with weed and guess what; undertakers are usually non-Muslims, should
that be it fellow Muslims?
The Madinah cemetery gives cause to be buoyant, the system there is
well cut out, Muslims are in charge of the place and know what they are
about, the place is always (at least as at my last visit) well kept and
appreciable at least by Islamic standards – I pray that Allah blesses
and strengthens the brothers doing that jihad for Islam.
CALL TO ACTION
Till the extent that you have read this piece – it’s the least
contribution that I have tabled as of today – you should also discuss
this issue with other Muslims so as for us to gather as many
‘Mujaahids/Mujaahidahs’ to oursue this course.
Discuss this with any Muslim you find is influential within the circles
of our social stratum, I may not live to see it even if it is
established at the time you read this piece (for the simple reason that I
know not when I will die and where) but it would be great to know that
one day, a Muslim corpse would be well dignified and laid to a peaceful
rest.
The laws of Islam are CLEAR if not CLEARER, the onus lies on us as
adherents of the faith to adhere strictly to these tenets. The ISLAMIC
belief system is not changeable, it’s not one that can be modified and
by that may ALLAH aid, guide and protect our every step in obeisance of
the one true religion, AL ISLAM.
© Abdur Rahman Shaban Alfa alfarsenal@yahoo.com/newcguide@gmail.com
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
Stop, Look, Listen! Watch What You Put On Facebook
Social networking without a shred of doubt is the biggest phenomenon of
the last several years. Of the many platforms available, twitter, my
space, baddoo et al, are living in the shadows of the Zuckerburgan
invention of FACEBOOK.
Statistics have it that, if the population of Facebook were captured within the context of a country, it would have passed as the second populous member of global sovereign jurisdictional fraternity (country, nation) and for that matter the fastest growing one at that.
So beyond being a populated assemblage of people spanning all four cardinal bearings of any compass, would it be fair then to as: who is not on facebook?
Now unto substantive stuff, I have always laughed at names that people have adopted on facebook, from real life names to the funniest, craziest, weirdest and sometimes most despicable words, phrases and clauses, how about this? Inkglob discombobulated fluer.
Jolted I was when the ‘privileged’ guys who run facebook notified me that I had exhausted the number of times that I could effect a name change to my profile. But why was that I wondered? Thank ALLAH though that my name at the time (Alfa Allahguide Shaban) was by every estimation a good one.
The question then is; how many people are conscious of the fact that they have limited opportunities to change their facebook names? Better still, how can a person ascertain how many chances there are left to effect a change?
As a new user of the social network platform, a person may be overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and delusions of putting their images and that of others on the platform for as many friends as they have to savor, feed their eyes on and comment.
Personally my pictures are off the platform after several considerations, in any case there are other more interesting and pulsating pictures that a person can get online and upload as a profile picture, which by far sits better with me.
Here is the big one, if you did not know, I happened to type my name into the google image search slot only to find a picture I ever used as a profile picture, the truth with information fed into the internet is that, it is stashed away in some system somewhere.
Information fed-in is hardly ever deleted completely once uploaded; evidence is borne in the book ‘Cybersafe’ authored by Gwenn Schurgin O’keeffe; “What we put on cyberspace never truly goes away, we have to consider it permanent because there is likely a copy somewhere, to think otherwise is foolish.”
The long and shot of it is that on facebook, privacy to say the least is relative; but really really, the concept if you like is ABSENT, someone somewhere (known or otherwise) can certainly have access to what you feed into your profile.
Let us jump into realm of image upload on facebook: the story is told of how a brother tried without success to delete a dead sister’s account simply because he did not know her password even though people kept making lewd and disparaging heart throbbing comments that her numerous friends kept making on her pictures.
Admitted that after a while, inactive accounts on the network are deactivated, I guess we should not wait till such a time that little or nothing can be done before we resort to knee jerk reactions which are almost always woefully inadequate.
Thousand friends on facebook means presumably that there are as many and more persons out there are privy to as much information as we are willing to share in our facebook profile, mind you copying some of these data is as easy as the word.
At least we ALL should learn to share our facebook passwords with a trusted confidant. Simply a critical move that could even help such people update our status when we are unable to and also when death – the inevitable visitor – calls us, they can deactivate our account in line with our demise.
I love Islam, Allah Knows, Allahguide!
© Abdur Rahman Shaban Alfa Email: alfarsenal@yahoo.com, newcguide@gmail.com Facebook name: Alfa Allahguide Shaban
Statistics have it that, if the population of Facebook were captured within the context of a country, it would have passed as the second populous member of global sovereign jurisdictional fraternity (country, nation) and for that matter the fastest growing one at that.
So beyond being a populated assemblage of people spanning all four cardinal bearings of any compass, would it be fair then to as: who is not on facebook?
Now unto substantive stuff, I have always laughed at names that people have adopted on facebook, from real life names to the funniest, craziest, weirdest and sometimes most despicable words, phrases and clauses, how about this? Inkglob discombobulated fluer.
Jolted I was when the ‘privileged’ guys who run facebook notified me that I had exhausted the number of times that I could effect a name change to my profile. But why was that I wondered? Thank ALLAH though that my name at the time (Alfa Allahguide Shaban) was by every estimation a good one.
The question then is; how many people are conscious of the fact that they have limited opportunities to change their facebook names? Better still, how can a person ascertain how many chances there are left to effect a change?
As a new user of the social network platform, a person may be overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and delusions of putting their images and that of others on the platform for as many friends as they have to savor, feed their eyes on and comment.
Personally my pictures are off the platform after several considerations, in any case there are other more interesting and pulsating pictures that a person can get online and upload as a profile picture, which by far sits better with me.
Here is the big one, if you did not know, I happened to type my name into the google image search slot only to find a picture I ever used as a profile picture, the truth with information fed into the internet is that, it is stashed away in some system somewhere.
Information fed-in is hardly ever deleted completely once uploaded; evidence is borne in the book ‘Cybersafe’ authored by Gwenn Schurgin O’keeffe; “What we put on cyberspace never truly goes away, we have to consider it permanent because there is likely a copy somewhere, to think otherwise is foolish.”
The long and shot of it is that on facebook, privacy to say the least is relative; but really really, the concept if you like is ABSENT, someone somewhere (known or otherwise) can certainly have access to what you feed into your profile.
Let us jump into realm of image upload on facebook: the story is told of how a brother tried without success to delete a dead sister’s account simply because he did not know her password even though people kept making lewd and disparaging heart throbbing comments that her numerous friends kept making on her pictures.
Admitted that after a while, inactive accounts on the network are deactivated, I guess we should not wait till such a time that little or nothing can be done before we resort to knee jerk reactions which are almost always woefully inadequate.
Thousand friends on facebook means presumably that there are as many and more persons out there are privy to as much information as we are willing to share in our facebook profile, mind you copying some of these data is as easy as the word.
At least we ALL should learn to share our facebook passwords with a trusted confidant. Simply a critical move that could even help such people update our status when we are unable to and also when death – the inevitable visitor – calls us, they can deactivate our account in line with our demise.
I love Islam, Allah Knows, Allahguide!
© Abdur Rahman Shaban Alfa Email: alfarsenal@yahoo.com, newcguide@gmail.com Facebook name: Alfa Allahguide Shaban
The Gulf between Thinking and Talking: Hon. Kumbour’s Beef
*He spoke and when he did; he spoke truth. Views that connected with
the Latin motto of my alma mater: VERITAS LIBERAT – The truth shall set
you free’*
He ventilated his views, I believe those that he’s stomached for long (especially as one of those less heard of politicians in the media). He is no mean a politician but the leader of the majority group in the country’s legislature.
Some weeks back, he granted a rare interview to journalists and then; did the man Hon. Benjamin Kumbuour emptied his bowels (pardon my word usage) and by so doing speaking the mind of many like-minded citizens.
And by his bowels, I mean he spoke exactly what we (the citizenry) wanted to hear even though little was going to change in the general scheme of events. Point is; the man made his view known and did so succinctly.
Why we pay people in this country?
Paying people is only fair in as much as they exert mental and physical energies towards the attainment of certain services and or goods. As to whether we are paying well is another thing; Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) I am sure has views on this.
Hon. Kumbuor is of the view that if at all we pay people it is for doing next to nothing. If people recruited to solve problems become problems themselves, then we are consumed by a systemic canker that stifles our development.
Most people especially in public service are running down institutions that are supposed to be working in the interest of the nation, they are running in opposite direction of mapped out strategies and plans and by so doing, don’t just leave us stagnated by retrogressing.
And in the words of the majority leader: *“This is what is the problem of this country.”*
Time and again we refer to our 1992 till date governance system as burgeoning and all, yet we have never stopped to ask ourselves as a people how those we concede are ahead of us behaved in their ‘burgeoning’ years?
Question: Where did we go wrong?
I shan’t bore you with the Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore ‘Same time Independence’ debate and let no one bore you with it. Time without number we have diagnosed the problem but refused to heed the road map to ‘salvation.’
So why would people be paid to talk than to think, simply because Ghanaians have enough time to also listen, the talk – listen equation then dovetails into a needless propagandist cacophonic blurt especially on radio.
Hon. Kumbuor again: *‘All the matured democracies and industrialized countries you see, they have always found time to pay people to think and not just to talk. Because every day you get up on your airwaves, what do you hear?’*
For emphasis, I ask: What we hear on the radio?
In journalism school, one of the foremost communication theories taught is the ‘agenda setting theory’ of the media. Radio is by far the most ‘potent’ media in Ghana today, in terms of reach and language.
Yet, the rather lazy nature of most radio journalists is as baffling as it is to be expected. Baffling because there are a 1001 development issues begging to be told but thanks to a party political landscape. It is on radio that all things slanderous, scandalous and cancerous are spewed.
In an era where anyone can be a journalist, certainly we would be victims of free – for – all information sewage and news garbage that we are being fed day in and out.
Well put in his words: “*But who do we glorify? Those who can insult each other on the radio in the morning…”* Question: for how long shall this persist?
Media is complicit!
This is where I disagree with the Honourable when he looks like is bending over backwards to insulate the media because it is the politician who feeds the media man with whatever info he puts out.
I do not know if the majority leader has a background in journalism, what I am sure of is his legal prowess and clout. Indeed, the basic principle in journalism called the ABC of the craft are ‘Accuracy, Balance and Clarity,’ and here the ‘Asantehene bribe slur’ as it has come to be known is apt a reference.
That episode; as unfortunate and nauseating as it is, was and would forever be, saw media people, pluck a ‘rotten’ story from the internet, a place where anonymity is the first name and pseudonyms the surname of the most vituperative contributors.
On climbing the ropes
On climbing the ropes with clean hands in this country; that is where the man hit almost every Ghanaian someway somehow and he without doubt hit a sensitive nerve; one that needs to be looked at urgently and dispassionately.
Here are excerpts of his thoughts: *“Who can climb the ropes in Ghana today fairly? Even university admissions, people come to their MPs to go and assist them to get admission [and] when a country degenerates to this level; that politicians are now involved in academic decisions as to who gets admitted? We have a problem!” *the last statement answers the first question; or?
As for the political lobbying of MPs and other politicians about any and everything from school admission to hospital beds, ‘august appearances’ at funerals, weddings, naming ceremonies et.al; is it not a result of their own doing?
Politicians are the powerful people who earn so much (salaries, ex gratia, per diems and other perks) trumpeted in the media and kicked against by the lay man and civil society (to no avail). These are indicative of the supposed good life that politicians especially those in power are living. Their cross to bear!
And the whole analogy about a protocol list student who went to nursing training with F – F – F (Fail, fail, fail); I laughed about it but when the message sunk (pardon my late hearing) then I realized that we are as a people headed into the protocol era.
Where if care isn’t taken from school admission through to recruitment for jobs, who coach the Black Queens and eventually who decides our destiny as a people would be garnished with protocol spices. God forbid!
Appeal: I hope you read this peace as though it were my thoughts (i.e. privileged access to my mental faculty) danger is if you read it as though I were talking to you, where does it leave me; a talker or a thinker?
What I do know is; there is indeed a great gulf between the two present continuous verbs. God bless Ghana.
By Shaban Alfa Abdur Rahman
newcguide@gmail.com/alfarsenal@yahoo.com
He ventilated his views, I believe those that he’s stomached for long (especially as one of those less heard of politicians in the media). He is no mean a politician but the leader of the majority group in the country’s legislature.
Some weeks back, he granted a rare interview to journalists and then; did the man Hon. Benjamin Kumbuour emptied his bowels (pardon my word usage) and by so doing speaking the mind of many like-minded citizens.
And by his bowels, I mean he spoke exactly what we (the citizenry) wanted to hear even though little was going to change in the general scheme of events. Point is; the man made his view known and did so succinctly.
Why we pay people in this country?
Paying people is only fair in as much as they exert mental and physical energies towards the attainment of certain services and or goods. As to whether we are paying well is another thing; Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) I am sure has views on this.
Hon. Kumbuor is of the view that if at all we pay people it is for doing next to nothing. If people recruited to solve problems become problems themselves, then we are consumed by a systemic canker that stifles our development.
Most people especially in public service are running down institutions that are supposed to be working in the interest of the nation, they are running in opposite direction of mapped out strategies and plans and by so doing, don’t just leave us stagnated by retrogressing.
And in the words of the majority leader: *“This is what is the problem of this country.”*
Time and again we refer to our 1992 till date governance system as burgeoning and all, yet we have never stopped to ask ourselves as a people how those we concede are ahead of us behaved in their ‘burgeoning’ years?
Question: Where did we go wrong?
I shan’t bore you with the Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore ‘Same time Independence’ debate and let no one bore you with it. Time without number we have diagnosed the problem but refused to heed the road map to ‘salvation.’
So why would people be paid to talk than to think, simply because Ghanaians have enough time to also listen, the talk – listen equation then dovetails into a needless propagandist cacophonic blurt especially on radio.
Hon. Kumbuor again: *‘All the matured democracies and industrialized countries you see, they have always found time to pay people to think and not just to talk. Because every day you get up on your airwaves, what do you hear?’*
For emphasis, I ask: What we hear on the radio?
In journalism school, one of the foremost communication theories taught is the ‘agenda setting theory’ of the media. Radio is by far the most ‘potent’ media in Ghana today, in terms of reach and language.
Yet, the rather lazy nature of most radio journalists is as baffling as it is to be expected. Baffling because there are a 1001 development issues begging to be told but thanks to a party political landscape. It is on radio that all things slanderous, scandalous and cancerous are spewed.
In an era where anyone can be a journalist, certainly we would be victims of free – for – all information sewage and news garbage that we are being fed day in and out.
Well put in his words: “*But who do we glorify? Those who can insult each other on the radio in the morning…”* Question: for how long shall this persist?
Media is complicit!
This is where I disagree with the Honourable when he looks like is bending over backwards to insulate the media because it is the politician who feeds the media man with whatever info he puts out.
I do not know if the majority leader has a background in journalism, what I am sure of is his legal prowess and clout. Indeed, the basic principle in journalism called the ABC of the craft are ‘Accuracy, Balance and Clarity,’ and here the ‘Asantehene bribe slur’ as it has come to be known is apt a reference.
That episode; as unfortunate and nauseating as it is, was and would forever be, saw media people, pluck a ‘rotten’ story from the internet, a place where anonymity is the first name and pseudonyms the surname of the most vituperative contributors.
On climbing the ropes
On climbing the ropes with clean hands in this country; that is where the man hit almost every Ghanaian someway somehow and he without doubt hit a sensitive nerve; one that needs to be looked at urgently and dispassionately.
Here are excerpts of his thoughts: *“Who can climb the ropes in Ghana today fairly? Even university admissions, people come to their MPs to go and assist them to get admission [and] when a country degenerates to this level; that politicians are now involved in academic decisions as to who gets admitted? We have a problem!” *the last statement answers the first question; or?
As for the political lobbying of MPs and other politicians about any and everything from school admission to hospital beds, ‘august appearances’ at funerals, weddings, naming ceremonies et.al; is it not a result of their own doing?
Politicians are the powerful people who earn so much (salaries, ex gratia, per diems and other perks) trumpeted in the media and kicked against by the lay man and civil society (to no avail). These are indicative of the supposed good life that politicians especially those in power are living. Their cross to bear!
And the whole analogy about a protocol list student who went to nursing training with F – F – F (Fail, fail, fail); I laughed about it but when the message sunk (pardon my late hearing) then I realized that we are as a people headed into the protocol era.
Where if care isn’t taken from school admission through to recruitment for jobs, who coach the Black Queens and eventually who decides our destiny as a people would be garnished with protocol spices. God forbid!
Appeal: I hope you read this peace as though it were my thoughts (i.e. privileged access to my mental faculty) danger is if you read it as though I were talking to you, where does it leave me; a talker or a thinker?
What I do know is; there is indeed a great gulf between the two present continuous verbs. God bless Ghana.
By Shaban Alfa Abdur Rahman
newcguide@gmail.com/alfarsenal@yahoo.com
A Response To Gamal Nkrumah: The Veil Is Islamic
In the August 24, 2013 edition of the ‘Daily Graphic’ Newspaper, an
article titled ‘Political Islam Unveiled’ authored by a weekly columnist
in the paper; Dr. Gamal Nkrumah was published.
That article would ordinarily had passed without the need for a rejoinder except that there were elements of plain falsehood and misrepresentations put out there and no part of the article clarified either overtly or covertly that those were subjective views of an individual i.e. the author.
It is in the light of this that I publish this rejoinder hopefully to clear up as much as possible, the ‘damage’ that has been done to the article itself and which could further be done to the public information, whiles at it to educate the populace through this medium on the issue on board.
An article targeted at the Egyptian political group, the Muslim Brotherhood; I dare say veered off into issues clearly legislated; unequivocally so, by Islamic law i.e. the Quran and Sunnah (the traditions of the Prophet Mohammed S.A.W)
The issue in question was on the matter of the Islamically prescribed female dress code called hijab.
The writer, in the seventeenth paragraph of his piece stated unequivocally that; “the veiling of women is not even Islamic…” Ironically however, he would not give a single reason for his assertion from Islamic literature save to credit veiling to ancient Jewish customs adopted by Christians.
Even with that, he would further make reference to Mariam (Mary) mother of Jesus as being depicted with a veil and most likely she did such for propriety sake.
For the records, there are four verses in the Quran, that made mandatory on Muslim women veiling. And all four were revealed to the Prophet Mohammed S.A.W decades after mother of Jesus (Mariam.)
The Quran states thus in chapter 33: 59: “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft – Forgiving, Most Merciful”
The other three verses for purposes of reference can be found in chapters 24: 31, 24: 60 and 33: 53. And in each case women are admonished to don the veil in their own interest and so that their chastity may be guarded and treasured.
There are several other traditions of the Prophet that go to buttress the need for Muslim women as a matter of necessity to put on the veil. All of these are information that are so easily accessible that the writers effrontery in misrepresentation was simply but strikingly baffling.
Indeed, several other allusions were made to the feminine persona throughout the piece and all dovetailed perfectly into the raging global debate on human rights and the seemingly subtle but now glaringly open attempt to portray the veiled Muslim as oppressed.
Without doubt, it was Islam that restored the honor of women in times when English common law, Roman law, the Chinese and Indians as well as pre Islamic Arabia demeaned her status.
That debate I am sure would be for another day and hopefully for a bigger platform.
Again, I would refer the writer to ‘Islam Speaks – the Voice of Islam on Contemporary Issues’ a book authored by Sheikh Ishaak Nuamah, portions of page 28 states: “veiling of woman in Islam is a mark of civility and, indeed an honour to woman. Based on the argument of civilization and the argument of value, it has to be noted that, man was considered uncivilized in the stone age because he/she went naked. When clothing was invented, man was classified as a civilized being. Therefore, covering of the body is a mark of civilization.”
Veiling is rooted steeply in islamic law, and for a country as Egypt, a land where of the 90 million citizens only 5 million are not Muslims, was it an offence that veiled women were allowed after a long while to read the news as reported by BBC?
As for the point about enshrining freedom not to wear veils in a secular constitution; that is exactly where it belongs because the veil is Islamic and so stated in the Islamic constitution i.e. the Quran.
Whiles Hoda Sharaawi’s heroics (at least per the writer’s description) of nearly a century ago (1922) may have been celebrated, the truth really is, that it took nothing away from the fact that the veil is Islamic and would remain as such.
Here we are bombarded left, right and center with images of women FREE to wear that which they so choose to, if we are to go by the ever diminishing size of these clothes; who can deny that we would be headed back into the stone age?
The Islamic legislation on veiling is that it is COMPULSORY (Caps mine), it has never in Islamic history being amenable to subjective interpretation of any individual or group.
The veil is a symbol of modesty and propriety, it is far from a clothe of shame, misogyny and oppression. As for classifying an unveiled woman as a ‘bad girl’ maybe it is a subjective analysis and one that should ordinarily not lead to any rift.
My views on political Islam are available and I hope for space to so espouse them in due course. The platform is most appreciated.
Thank you.
Shaban Alfa Abdur Rahman
newcguide@gmail.com/ alfarsenal@yahoo.com
That article would ordinarily had passed without the need for a rejoinder except that there were elements of plain falsehood and misrepresentations put out there and no part of the article clarified either overtly or covertly that those were subjective views of an individual i.e. the author.
It is in the light of this that I publish this rejoinder hopefully to clear up as much as possible, the ‘damage’ that has been done to the article itself and which could further be done to the public information, whiles at it to educate the populace through this medium on the issue on board.
An article targeted at the Egyptian political group, the Muslim Brotherhood; I dare say veered off into issues clearly legislated; unequivocally so, by Islamic law i.e. the Quran and Sunnah (the traditions of the Prophet Mohammed S.A.W)
The issue in question was on the matter of the Islamically prescribed female dress code called hijab.
The writer, in the seventeenth paragraph of his piece stated unequivocally that; “the veiling of women is not even Islamic…” Ironically however, he would not give a single reason for his assertion from Islamic literature save to credit veiling to ancient Jewish customs adopted by Christians.
Even with that, he would further make reference to Mariam (Mary) mother of Jesus as being depicted with a veil and most likely she did such for propriety sake.
For the records, there are four verses in the Quran, that made mandatory on Muslim women veiling. And all four were revealed to the Prophet Mohammed S.A.W decades after mother of Jesus (Mariam.)
The Quran states thus in chapter 33: 59: “O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allah is Ever Oft – Forgiving, Most Merciful”
The other three verses for purposes of reference can be found in chapters 24: 31, 24: 60 and 33: 53. And in each case women are admonished to don the veil in their own interest and so that their chastity may be guarded and treasured.
There are several other traditions of the Prophet that go to buttress the need for Muslim women as a matter of necessity to put on the veil. All of these are information that are so easily accessible that the writers effrontery in misrepresentation was simply but strikingly baffling.
Indeed, several other allusions were made to the feminine persona throughout the piece and all dovetailed perfectly into the raging global debate on human rights and the seemingly subtle but now glaringly open attempt to portray the veiled Muslim as oppressed.
Without doubt, it was Islam that restored the honor of women in times when English common law, Roman law, the Chinese and Indians as well as pre Islamic Arabia demeaned her status.
That debate I am sure would be for another day and hopefully for a bigger platform.
Again, I would refer the writer to ‘Islam Speaks – the Voice of Islam on Contemporary Issues’ a book authored by Sheikh Ishaak Nuamah, portions of page 28 states: “veiling of woman in Islam is a mark of civility and, indeed an honour to woman. Based on the argument of civilization and the argument of value, it has to be noted that, man was considered uncivilized in the stone age because he/she went naked. When clothing was invented, man was classified as a civilized being. Therefore, covering of the body is a mark of civilization.”
Veiling is rooted steeply in islamic law, and for a country as Egypt, a land where of the 90 million citizens only 5 million are not Muslims, was it an offence that veiled women were allowed after a long while to read the news as reported by BBC?
As for the point about enshrining freedom not to wear veils in a secular constitution; that is exactly where it belongs because the veil is Islamic and so stated in the Islamic constitution i.e. the Quran.
Whiles Hoda Sharaawi’s heroics (at least per the writer’s description) of nearly a century ago (1922) may have been celebrated, the truth really is, that it took nothing away from the fact that the veil is Islamic and would remain as such.
Here we are bombarded left, right and center with images of women FREE to wear that which they so choose to, if we are to go by the ever diminishing size of these clothes; who can deny that we would be headed back into the stone age?
The Islamic legislation on veiling is that it is COMPULSORY (Caps mine), it has never in Islamic history being amenable to subjective interpretation of any individual or group.
The veil is a symbol of modesty and propriety, it is far from a clothe of shame, misogyny and oppression. As for classifying an unveiled woman as a ‘bad girl’ maybe it is a subjective analysis and one that should ordinarily not lead to any rift.
My views on political Islam are available and I hope for space to so espouse them in due course. The platform is most appreciated.
Thank you.
Shaban Alfa Abdur Rahman
newcguide@gmail.com/ alfarsenal@yahoo.com
Sunday, 15 March 2015
Poem: GHISLAMICRADIO: 21st Century Dawah Caravan
Ours was an Ummah on the brink of media paranoid
They stepped in with technology on IOS and android
With hard work, they built a quality radio platform
On whose foundations, ALL Muslims could conform
T’was an online community to host the learned local
Whose voices they broadcast to an audience global
In keeping pace with contemporary outreach dynamic
Everyday, they serve us a fully planned radio; Islamic
Their eventful past and present is worthy of survey
Our best task is about ‘ghislamicradio,’ to convey
T’is an application that kick-starts with supplication
And on www.islamicradiogh.com, lots of information
A good effort now expert in LIVE program streaming
Very soon, insha Allah on TV; they would be beaming
Just Download. Install. Play. In store is so much MORE
Wait no longer, just click and get started from Playstore
Qiraa and waazi etc. abounds on the radio for Da’wah
Into our hearts and in our homes, sowing seeds of Ni’ma
This is GH Islamic Radio – The Radio for Da’wah
Wal Laahi. Tal Laahi ….
https://play.google.com/store/
Wednesday, 11 March 2015
Western Region: Ghana’s Islamic State
Introduction
So much happens, has happened and continues to happen in our dear country. So much rot and corruption. So much moral decadence. So much deprivation in terms of basic development.
Our roads have become refuse dumps overnight, the number of prostitutes is increasing by the day. Politicians are becoming more cunning and untruthful, young flagrantly disrespecting the old etc.
Yet, we take pride being referred to as a religious nation.
Here is what, whichever religion is credited with majority of adherents thus has a huge responsibility to fix that which is eating us up as a people socially, economically, morally yet more importantly; spiritually.
The Situation Thus Far
As a Muslim I charge our Imams and leaders to note that some the people they preach to on the pulpits, turn around to perpetrate illegalities which results in the larger ill and social canker of degeneration in all spheres of our national life.
Same is the case with the Christian leaders. So do I say because of what value would religion be if not to hone our lives. Our blunt attitudes that emanate from desires need shaping on the anvil of religion without doubt.
I mention Islam and Christianity but kindly note that same applies to other religions. The need to become better people by our belief is not negotiable.
Here in Ghana, religious groups have limited themselves to the pulpits and more often than not, stayed off the developmental agenda of the country. Those Christian leaders who have spoken out have been lashed out at. My respects to Mensa Otabil and Rev. Martey
Do we ever hear Muslim leaders speak on anything? Nothing! It is as if all they have to say is what they have said over the years. On the pulpit with the staff in hand, do good and be admitted to paradise, do the opposite and be dumped in hell. Simple as that.
It seems that to them that is all that matters. Let’s not get things twisted; having a thousand Madrasas and halaqah sessions or minarets blurting the call to prayer is not a measure of how Islamic you are.
How well do you engage the feelings of the immediate congregants especially those feelings that cut across regional boundaries and are national in nature; what are your organizational abilities as a leader and that beyond the pulpit what else?
The Case of Ghana’s Western Region
Two significant issues worthy of note, the march against same sex relationships and the hijab rights march barely a month back. These two protests happened in the region but had a national character.
Albeit an inter religious protest, the anti same-sex relationship issue years back was a national one but the Western region stood up to protest.
Let any Muslim deny that the issue of religious rights especially for Muslims to be allowed to worship on campuses of mission and even secular schools is not long overdue. So so lip service over the years and who came to the rescue of Muslims; Muslim Rights Front.
So much noise did the Western Region make about anti gays that the sour and tasteless Sulley Ali Gabass episode shook Muslims in the region so badly. Whiles we don’t wish to be seen as a protestant population, imagine what well planned protests on many rights infractions of Muslims would have been history by now.
And let anyone tell me that there are other Muslim leaders like Hajj Saeed Jallo and his team, ready to prosecute a public agenda in the interest of Muslims of today and generations yet unborn.
We may not exactly agree on matters of Aqeedah what we can do is to unite as did Allah exhort us to hold on fast to HIS rope and not divide. Let’s let the issues of mutuality supersede all others as that is our sure bet in moving the Ummah forward.
Till then, not by the number of minarets, madrasas, muallims or massajids but by the level of activism and rights protection. I see the Western Region as Ghana’s Islamic State. May Allah one day make the entirely of Ghana, an Islamic State. Ameen.
Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban
newcguide@gmail.com/alfarsenal@yahoo.com
So much happens, has happened and continues to happen in our dear country. So much rot and corruption. So much moral decadence. So much deprivation in terms of basic development.
Our roads have become refuse dumps overnight, the number of prostitutes is increasing by the day. Politicians are becoming more cunning and untruthful, young flagrantly disrespecting the old etc.
Yet, we take pride being referred to as a religious nation.
Here is what, whichever religion is credited with majority of adherents thus has a huge responsibility to fix that which is eating us up as a people socially, economically, morally yet more importantly; spiritually.
The Situation Thus Far
As a Muslim I charge our Imams and leaders to note that some the people they preach to on the pulpits, turn around to perpetrate illegalities which results in the larger ill and social canker of degeneration in all spheres of our national life.
Same is the case with the Christian leaders. So do I say because of what value would religion be if not to hone our lives. Our blunt attitudes that emanate from desires need shaping on the anvil of religion without doubt.
I mention Islam and Christianity but kindly note that same applies to other religions. The need to become better people by our belief is not negotiable.
Here in Ghana, religious groups have limited themselves to the pulpits and more often than not, stayed off the developmental agenda of the country. Those Christian leaders who have spoken out have been lashed out at. My respects to Mensa Otabil and Rev. Martey
Do we ever hear Muslim leaders speak on anything? Nothing! It is as if all they have to say is what they have said over the years. On the pulpit with the staff in hand, do good and be admitted to paradise, do the opposite and be dumped in hell. Simple as that.
It seems that to them that is all that matters. Let’s not get things twisted; having a thousand Madrasas and halaqah sessions or minarets blurting the call to prayer is not a measure of how Islamic you are.
How well do you engage the feelings of the immediate congregants especially those feelings that cut across regional boundaries and are national in nature; what are your organizational abilities as a leader and that beyond the pulpit what else?
The Case of Ghana’s Western Region
Two significant issues worthy of note, the march against same sex relationships and the hijab rights march barely a month back. These two protests happened in the region but had a national character.
Albeit an inter religious protest, the anti same-sex relationship issue years back was a national one but the Western region stood up to protest.
Let any Muslim deny that the issue of religious rights especially for Muslims to be allowed to worship on campuses of mission and even secular schools is not long overdue. So so lip service over the years and who came to the rescue of Muslims; Muslim Rights Front.
So much noise did the Western Region make about anti gays that the sour and tasteless Sulley Ali Gabass episode shook Muslims in the region so badly. Whiles we don’t wish to be seen as a protestant population, imagine what well planned protests on many rights infractions of Muslims would have been history by now.
And let anyone tell me that there are other Muslim leaders like Hajj Saeed Jallo and his team, ready to prosecute a public agenda in the interest of Muslims of today and generations yet unborn.
We may not exactly agree on matters of Aqeedah what we can do is to unite as did Allah exhort us to hold on fast to HIS rope and not divide. Let’s let the issues of mutuality supersede all others as that is our sure bet in moving the Ummah forward.
Till then, not by the number of minarets, madrasas, muallims or massajids but by the level of activism and rights protection. I see the Western Region as Ghana’s Islamic State. May Allah one day make the entirely of Ghana, an Islamic State. Ameen.
Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban
newcguide@gmail.com/alfarsenal@yahoo.com
Letter to Pope Francis: Ghanaian Bishops and Hijab ‘F’Rights
St. Peters Basilica
Vatican City,
Rome, Italy
Bless Thee O Pope Francis,
I can imagine you stand outside of your window in epic display of your selfless leadership. Hands spread out as if to touch the hundreds of thousands of faithful who gather in the St. Peters Basilica to be blessed weekly.
But how can I proceed without seeking to know how Pope Benedict XVI (Yusef Ratzinger) is doing back at Castel Gandulfo. Kind hearted as I know you to be; kindly extend my warmest regards when you meet him.
How is church administration? My view matters not but it is that; your seemingly liberal conservative combination of leadership is ruffling feathers in the establishment but I trust that you will do well.
Having said that, may I very respectfully add to your issues for consideration, on goings in sub Saharan African country of Ghana. I am proud to say; it’s the birth land of Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson. Fine gentleman insha Allah, your successor.
If you don’t mind me asking; how was your inter religious trip round the world? I must admit that you are fast becoming a globe trotter, from Jerusalem (Middle East) through to Ankara (mainland Europe) to Manila (South America) etc.
Tell me the Jewish Rabbis, the Sheikhs and Imams and the Hindu gurus amongst others are all well and that you promise to visit them at other times to strengthen the bond that binds you and them, (Religion) is it?
Back to Ghana; your very respected bishops here in Ghana, where the Church has built lots of schools especially at the Senior High School (i.e. the pre University level) are asking heads of such schools to disregard a government directive. Yes.
The directive is that Muslim girls in these schools be allowed to wear their veils to school, a constitutional right that has not been practiced since these schools were established.
“We just want to dress like the blessed amongst women, Mother Mary. And to get whatever benefits health wise, socially and spiritually that nuns derive from covering their hair,” these are the words of one Muslim girl certainly not mine.
Pope, as leader of the bishops I am clear what you would have decided to pertain had you been invited into the matter, (at least on the score your wide engagements with other faiths).
I beg to ask, that in all your life as Cardinal Mario Bargoglio and before the black smoke turned white in your favor in the conclave, did you or would you have asked (forced) an adherent of another faith to worship in the church because he came in pursuit of secular education at your end?
I know you know this, the bold and bluff bishop would have none of it. That these catholic build and run schools are under state subvention. Seriously; your bishops here are very bold. There are a few people they fear and thou art one such I believe. I am not reporting them to you at all; why would I?
I wouldn’t furnish you with a copy of the bishop’s fatwa (legal ruling on hijab) just to tell you to pray that the heat in their hearts is extinguished. All I am saying is, as the boss of the sign of the cross. I am counting on the fondness of your libertarian stance on issues to mend what shouldn’t have been at all.
But rest easy and focus on the finances and scandals within the system. We will be fine Pope. Ghana is like that! Chooboi (mass action) protests and all but still we remain. My greetings to the next batch of pilgrims to St. Peters.
Sorry, I may never make it there in the capacity of a pilgrim but never mind; I will gladly be your correspondent from Ka’bah in Saudi Arabia – the power house and center of Muslim worship during hajj.
20th Jumaadal Uulaa 1436H = 11 March, 2015
Blessed art thou indeed Pope Francis.
Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban
newcguide@gmail.com/alfarsenal@yahoo.com
Vatican City,
Rome, Italy
Bless Thee O Pope Francis,
I can imagine you stand outside of your window in epic display of your selfless leadership. Hands spread out as if to touch the hundreds of thousands of faithful who gather in the St. Peters Basilica to be blessed weekly.
But how can I proceed without seeking to know how Pope Benedict XVI (Yusef Ratzinger) is doing back at Castel Gandulfo. Kind hearted as I know you to be; kindly extend my warmest regards when you meet him.
How is church administration? My view matters not but it is that; your seemingly liberal conservative combination of leadership is ruffling feathers in the establishment but I trust that you will do well.
Having said that, may I very respectfully add to your issues for consideration, on goings in sub Saharan African country of Ghana. I am proud to say; it’s the birth land of Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson. Fine gentleman insha Allah, your successor.
If you don’t mind me asking; how was your inter religious trip round the world? I must admit that you are fast becoming a globe trotter, from Jerusalem (Middle East) through to Ankara (mainland Europe) to Manila (South America) etc.
Tell me the Jewish Rabbis, the Sheikhs and Imams and the Hindu gurus amongst others are all well and that you promise to visit them at other times to strengthen the bond that binds you and them, (Religion) is it?
Back to Ghana; your very respected bishops here in Ghana, where the Church has built lots of schools especially at the Senior High School (i.e. the pre University level) are asking heads of such schools to disregard a government directive. Yes.
The directive is that Muslim girls in these schools be allowed to wear their veils to school, a constitutional right that has not been practiced since these schools were established.
“We just want to dress like the blessed amongst women, Mother Mary. And to get whatever benefits health wise, socially and spiritually that nuns derive from covering their hair,” these are the words of one Muslim girl certainly not mine.
Pope, as leader of the bishops I am clear what you would have decided to pertain had you been invited into the matter, (at least on the score your wide engagements with other faiths).
I beg to ask, that in all your life as Cardinal Mario Bargoglio and before the black smoke turned white in your favor in the conclave, did you or would you have asked (forced) an adherent of another faith to worship in the church because he came in pursuit of secular education at your end?
I know you know this, the bold and bluff bishop would have none of it. That these catholic build and run schools are under state subvention. Seriously; your bishops here are very bold. There are a few people they fear and thou art one such I believe. I am not reporting them to you at all; why would I?
I wouldn’t furnish you with a copy of the bishop’s fatwa (legal ruling on hijab) just to tell you to pray that the heat in their hearts is extinguished. All I am saying is, as the boss of the sign of the cross. I am counting on the fondness of your libertarian stance on issues to mend what shouldn’t have been at all.
But rest easy and focus on the finances and scandals within the system. We will be fine Pope. Ghana is like that! Chooboi (mass action) protests and all but still we remain. My greetings to the next batch of pilgrims to St. Peters.
Sorry, I may never make it there in the capacity of a pilgrim but never mind; I will gladly be your correspondent from Ka’bah in Saudi Arabia – the power house and center of Muslim worship during hajj.
20th Jumaadal Uulaa 1436H = 11 March, 2015
Blessed art thou indeed Pope Francis.
Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban
newcguide@gmail.com/alfarsenal@yahoo.com
Thursday, 5 March 2015
Morning 'Devo' What? Onukpa Allotey Parker, Park Yourself!
"... bold to defend forever, the cause of freedom and of RIGHT"
In 21st century constitutional rule Ghana and someone somewhere thinks he can
muscle a group of people by merely granting a radio interview with a supposed directive
from his office.
Come to think of it, who signed Parker Allotey’s
directive that all pupils and students in public schools should compulsorily attend “morning devotion”? It is
intriguing that for a bureaucratic system as the Ghana Education Service (GES)
it took him to stir the pot of controversy by contradicting the Minister and above all the President.
More so at a time
when Muslims were pushing for the recognition of a constitutionally dormant
RIGHT (caps mine) to freely practice their religion, in this case that female
pupils and students be allowed to wear their veils to school.
What is morning
devotion?
I won’t explain it
for Onukpa Allotey and or the GES, but what a world of difference it would have
made to refer to it as morning assembly. Who would have requested an
explanation from Atta Allotey as to what constituted morning assembly?
But why should
Muslim students be asked to go and sing hymnals and gospel praise songs, sing
and dance, clap and kneel; just because their parents want them to get an
education; a basic RIGHT as per the constitution. I mean how?
They have always
done so; why now? Having always done so is certainly not reason why we should
continue so to do. There comes a time when the zephyr of change blows. In our
case, we seek that change NOW! #Baafira
You see, the
intrigue about Ataa Allotey’s comments is that it is supposedly from GES which
is under the Ministry and by extension the Presidency. The sector Minister and
President seem to have ideas alien to those held by Mr. Parker.
The Minister was on
Joy FM as did the President assert the rights to freedom of worship in his last
State of the Nation address. Owula Parker as things stand now, thee seeketh to
know, from where thy locus?
I hear you put it
down to promoting discipline and national unity. I agree that Muslim students
NOT be allowed to loiter during morning devotion, but IF there is an option of
staying in a class without being of nuisance value; so be it.
Over the years, we
have attended strenuously, but no more. Times have changed and we have waived
our submissiveness in that light not for disrespect of authority but to
establish a mutual convention for generations yet to come.
Now on the score of
national unity, where would a united Ghana emanate from when a section of the
whole is crying foul over a clear trampling over their rights. Ataa Allotey;
drop that talk. Owula Parker, Park that view.
“… bold to defend
forever,
The cause of freedom
and of right,
Fill our hearts with
true humility,
Make us cherish,
fearless, honesty ….”
God bless our
homeland Ghana.
14 Jumadal Oolaa
1436 = 05 March, 2015
Shaban Alfa Abdur
Rahman
Wednesday, 4 March 2015
Islamic Date System – Keeping Track Of the Hijri Dates
Introduction
Ours Islamically is a lunar calendar but we are more often than not abreast with the Gregorian calendar for obvious reasons.
Our lives albeit governed by Islam is calculated on a system other than the Islamic. The secular nature of our affairs make it worse because we initiate and make most projections based on the Gregorian calendar.
So as a Nigerian Imam once remarked wryly, “you (a Muslim) do not know of Muharram or Rajab let alone Zul Qa’dah but we know of August, April and September, all for the sake of monthly salary.”
The Qur’aan our guiding light informs us about the months that they are twelve. The same Qur’an directs that we calculate our seasons based on the moon. Yet here we are grappling with keeping track of these months. Sha’baan, Ramadaan and Zul Hijjah are very well known for obvious reasons.
Justified Oblivion by Muslims?
Zul Hijjah is the equivalent of December [i.e. the last month]. They mark the end of the year and are followed by the entry of a New Year, Muharram or January. Yet only a few Muslims keep track of the Muharram as they do to January, a clear case of self imposed oblivion if you ask me. But why should that be?
The twin reasons that I deduce are; the social milieu within which we find ourselves as above stated and our own lack of initiative and drive to apply the Islamic dates even if alongside the Gregorian.
But these two reasons are certainly not enough for us to discard the Islamic dates and thus there is the need for a conscientious effort to sow the seeds of ‘hijri’ calculations across the religious and social structure of our lives as Muslims
The Way Forward
My proposals of a solution to this indictment and grave ‘oversight’ on the Muslim Ummah [Community] lies in two words: Conscientization and Continued Use of the date especially at ALL Muslim gatherings.
The first point of call shall be with Muslim leaders irrespective of which part of the religious banner they hold, to make it a point to at all events be it at naming, marriage or funeral ceremonies to remind all gathered of the Islamic date.
Another very potent platform on which to best drum home the date to Muslims is on Jum’ah – the Friday Congregational Prayer pulpits.
A largely marginalized group cannot here be kept out, Islamic school teachers, on them should be the most important and long term role of pushing down the concept of the Hijriyyah date into the minds of young Muslims they teach.
Muslim show hosts in the media should be tasked with reminding their audiences about the Islamic dates before and after each program. Writers like myself should also sign off with the Islamic date.
With respect to the use of traditional media, I ask; what stops well-to-do Muslims from paying to publish each month of the Islamic calendar in a number of daily newspapers? I wonder. Our dates should be awash over social media too
The Hijri Calendar is the official calendar in many predominantly Muslim countries. In Ghana and other countries, Muslims refer to the Gregorian calendar for most dates and consult the Hijri Calendar only for religious purposes.
The time is now to turn back and start afresh relative to the Islamic dates. From our Imams, through to Muslims in the media, Islamic school teachers and all Muslims living any and everywhere, ours is the onerous duty to make do with what is ours from the Almighty Allah.
Authored this day 1st Jumad Al Uulaa 1436 = 20th February, 2015
Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban
Teacher, Hamdaniyya Islamic School, Accra New Town
The Saturday Classes Dilemma: Sad Case of the Muslim Student
INTRODUCTION
The average Ghanaian child as we have been told by educationists over the years is being unnecessarily burdened with a loaded curriculum at all levels of the educational ladder. Indeed I dare say that is without doubt.
The least said the better relative to challenges that have bedeviled our contemporary educational
system ranging from the quality of teachers, the physical school structure, encumbered syllabus and government policies in that direction, yet another fringe problem within the context of this write-up: Saturday Classes hounds children.
THE PROBLEM: EMBATTLED YOUTH
The Muslim child is in perspective here because he/she is a very complex academic creature, enduring five secular school days – Monday through to Friday – before having a weekend schedule of showing up at Islamic School, (i.e. makaranta).
Here are Muslim children and youth who MIRACULOUSLY (caps mine) blend two alien educational systems, (for emphasis) systems that are miles apart, attend school hardly with any breaks, an undoubtedly complex situation it has been and still is for many Muslim children, a harsh reality; I call it.
Ordinarily, our educational system is supposed to run for five school days as above indicated, the concept of breaking school after five days was primarily to allow students to have rest, in some cases to attend church services and prepare for another five days schedule.
Apart from weekends, students have national holidays; midterm breaks (usually a maximum of
three days) and vacations (long/short) as periods off mainstream academic work.
Off mainstream academics for the simple reason that these periods have a certain element of academics drafted into them by way of classes, which are to a large extent by choice except for one which comes with a coercive effect, sadly so.
Saturday classes like all other extra class sessions would most certainly have been mooted on the premise of giving students a certain measure of academic aid especially so with a very loaded curriculum as above reiterated.
What set out as an academic helping hand to those who needed it is turning out to be institutionalized as most schools clandestinely and surreptitiously hide behind Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) to force children to show up for sixth school day.
All the better for public schools, who can barely flout the Ghana Education Services’ directive of no classes, the private school operators seem to be having a field day, passing a caveat that these classes fees are even drafted into school fees.
The question that bugs the mind of many here is: if a teacher failed to impart into a child within five school days, what real significance would the sixth and conventionally informal school day do?
Indeed, what this concept especially in the Junior and Senior High Schools have succeeded in doing over the period and in some instances for that matter has been for teachers to defer particular lessons to the Saturday class, threatening students who dared to absent themselves.
Then again for most private institutions, the concept has everything to do with the little currencies (50p and above) that is demanded from students for the services of the very busy and sacrificial teacher who could have other better things doing I guess.
In all of this the Muslim child is left to choose between Scylla and Charybdis, (i.e. between the rock and a hard place) relative to whether he attends the sixth school day or heads for the Islamic school.
It is at all not funny when young siblings return from school with reports that they had received varied degrees of punishments from lashes to being asked out of particular lessons for the simple reason of not attending Saturday classes.
A subtle form of this guerilla class sessions is of tertiary institutions and how lecturers do consultancy with the time they are paid to lecture students then turn around to ask that these students come to class at very odd times of the day: at dawn and or deep into the night.
A PROGRESSIVE WAY OUT
As progressive Muslims, a blanket call for an end to Saturday classes isn’t the way to go as is not the use of force to get children to abandon classes for makaranta, in fact the latter would mean double jeopardy for the young Muslim who is left wandering psychologically and wondering what step to take.
How do we help young Muslims I guess is a question to ask: get them at a very young age to appreciate the need for attending makaranta and as best as possible do this conscientization effort with parents who stand as major power brokers in which path a child eventually treks relative to the above topic.
When push comes to shove either of these options should come to play: that they attend Islamic school subsequent to which they would be given school lessons on particular subject areas they were most likely to have missed.
The reverse case is possible, that they go to school and are back just in time to be taught their Islamic lessons, this ultimately means one thing; sacrifice on the part of the students especially, parents and we Islamic school teachers. After all it is only for the greater good that we all make sacrifices.
As Muslim students (myself included) trudge along the academic path, we are faced with way too many hurdles, some to be scaled at personal levels, others with parental help and several others with the communal and religious strength: a typical case in point is the Saturday Classes dilemma, which has left us with none but a strategic outlook to the issue.
TANGENTIAL ISSUES & CONCLUSION
Whatever stops Muslims from calling for Friday school if not scrapped to be cut at least to a half day in order to afford young Muslims the opportunity to honour their weekly Jum’ah salat; remains a mystery to some of us.
We are better-off as Muslims heeding the admonishment of the Almighty, when he said in the Qur’an that we should hold on fast to his rope and not to disunite, like the many other issues whose answers have eluded Muslims in Ghana, therein unity lies that answer.
To quote the word of Hajj Zagoon-Sayeed Haruna in his book; A Case of Social Re-engineering for the Ghanaian Muslim Youth, “The worst enemy that confronts the Ghanaian Muslim Ummah today is disunity, and the most wanted commodity for the community is unity. Islam is unity and unity is Islam.” page 49.
Very well said and right on point by the very learned sheikh, whose book is a must read and is up for a review after we have concluded what is an interesting piece of literature by all standards. May Allah bless efforts of Muslims the world over at expanding the frontiers of this great faith.
Thanks for taking time to read through my thoughts and I look forward feverishly to sharing a discourse platform either via email on facebook or any such platforms.
© Abdur Rahman Shaban Alfa
Personal email: alfarsenal@yahoo.com/ newcguide@gmail.com
Facebook: Alfa Allahguide Shaban
@alfaallahguide
The average Ghanaian child as we have been told by educationists over the years is being unnecessarily burdened with a loaded curriculum at all levels of the educational ladder. Indeed I dare say that is without doubt.
The least said the better relative to challenges that have bedeviled our contemporary educational
system ranging from the quality of teachers, the physical school structure, encumbered syllabus and government policies in that direction, yet another fringe problem within the context of this write-up: Saturday Classes hounds children.
THE PROBLEM: EMBATTLED YOUTH
The Muslim child is in perspective here because he/she is a very complex academic creature, enduring five secular school days – Monday through to Friday – before having a weekend schedule of showing up at Islamic School, (i.e. makaranta).
Here are Muslim children and youth who MIRACULOUSLY (caps mine) blend two alien educational systems, (for emphasis) systems that are miles apart, attend school hardly with any breaks, an undoubtedly complex situation it has been and still is for many Muslim children, a harsh reality; I call it.
Ordinarily, our educational system is supposed to run for five school days as above indicated, the concept of breaking school after five days was primarily to allow students to have rest, in some cases to attend church services and prepare for another five days schedule.
Apart from weekends, students have national holidays; midterm breaks (usually a maximum of
three days) and vacations (long/short) as periods off mainstream academic work.
Off mainstream academics for the simple reason that these periods have a certain element of academics drafted into them by way of classes, which are to a large extent by choice except for one which comes with a coercive effect, sadly so.
Saturday classes like all other extra class sessions would most certainly have been mooted on the premise of giving students a certain measure of academic aid especially so with a very loaded curriculum as above reiterated.
What set out as an academic helping hand to those who needed it is turning out to be institutionalized as most schools clandestinely and surreptitiously hide behind Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) to force children to show up for sixth school day.
All the better for public schools, who can barely flout the Ghana Education Services’ directive of no classes, the private school operators seem to be having a field day, passing a caveat that these classes fees are even drafted into school fees.
The question that bugs the mind of many here is: if a teacher failed to impart into a child within five school days, what real significance would the sixth and conventionally informal school day do?
Indeed, what this concept especially in the Junior and Senior High Schools have succeeded in doing over the period and in some instances for that matter has been for teachers to defer particular lessons to the Saturday class, threatening students who dared to absent themselves.
Then again for most private institutions, the concept has everything to do with the little currencies (50p and above) that is demanded from students for the services of the very busy and sacrificial teacher who could have other better things doing I guess.
In all of this the Muslim child is left to choose between Scylla and Charybdis, (i.e. between the rock and a hard place) relative to whether he attends the sixth school day or heads for the Islamic school.
It is at all not funny when young siblings return from school with reports that they had received varied degrees of punishments from lashes to being asked out of particular lessons for the simple reason of not attending Saturday classes.
A subtle form of this guerilla class sessions is of tertiary institutions and how lecturers do consultancy with the time they are paid to lecture students then turn around to ask that these students come to class at very odd times of the day: at dawn and or deep into the night.
A PROGRESSIVE WAY OUT
As progressive Muslims, a blanket call for an end to Saturday classes isn’t the way to go as is not the use of force to get children to abandon classes for makaranta, in fact the latter would mean double jeopardy for the young Muslim who is left wandering psychologically and wondering what step to take.
How do we help young Muslims I guess is a question to ask: get them at a very young age to appreciate the need for attending makaranta and as best as possible do this conscientization effort with parents who stand as major power brokers in which path a child eventually treks relative to the above topic.
When push comes to shove either of these options should come to play: that they attend Islamic school subsequent to which they would be given school lessons on particular subject areas they were most likely to have missed.
The reverse case is possible, that they go to school and are back just in time to be taught their Islamic lessons, this ultimately means one thing; sacrifice on the part of the students especially, parents and we Islamic school teachers. After all it is only for the greater good that we all make sacrifices.
As Muslim students (myself included) trudge along the academic path, we are faced with way too many hurdles, some to be scaled at personal levels, others with parental help and several others with the communal and religious strength: a typical case in point is the Saturday Classes dilemma, which has left us with none but a strategic outlook to the issue.
TANGENTIAL ISSUES & CONCLUSION
Whatever stops Muslims from calling for Friday school if not scrapped to be cut at least to a half day in order to afford young Muslims the opportunity to honour their weekly Jum’ah salat; remains a mystery to some of us.
We are better-off as Muslims heeding the admonishment of the Almighty, when he said in the Qur’an that we should hold on fast to his rope and not to disunite, like the many other issues whose answers have eluded Muslims in Ghana, therein unity lies that answer.
To quote the word of Hajj Zagoon-Sayeed Haruna in his book; A Case of Social Re-engineering for the Ghanaian Muslim Youth, “The worst enemy that confronts the Ghanaian Muslim Ummah today is disunity, and the most wanted commodity for the community is unity. Islam is unity and unity is Islam.” page 49.
Very well said and right on point by the very learned sheikh, whose book is a must read and is up for a review after we have concluded what is an interesting piece of literature by all standards. May Allah bless efforts of Muslims the world over at expanding the frontiers of this great faith.
Thanks for taking time to read through my thoughts and I look forward feverishly to sharing a discourse platform either via email on facebook or any such platforms.
© Abdur Rahman Shaban Alfa
Personal email: alfarsenal@yahoo.com/ newcguide@gmail.com
Facebook: Alfa Allahguide Shaban
@alfaallahguide
School Worship and the Brazen Right Abuse of the Muslim Child
I wrote this article and had it published on online portals like ghanaweb three years ago, years on, it's as fresh as new. Thought I would share. Thanks for accepting to read.
INTRODUCTION
The spirit and letter of the supreme law of our land: the 1992 constitution; is unequivocal about the rights and liberties put at the disposal of all resident within and to some extent outside the jurisdiction. These rights of course come with responsibilities.Under fundamental human rights section of the constitution is the TWO key freedoms are guaranteed; FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND FREEDOM OF WORSHIP. Pardon me if I am unable to go into the legalities and read beyond lay man’s comprehension.
The respective articles read thus; ‘All persons shall have the right to- Freedom of speech and expression, which shall include freedom of the press and other media; Freedom of thought, conscience and belief, which shall include academic freedom; Freedom to practice any religion and to manifest such practice.’
Quite clearly, the Supreme Law of the land (of which I adhere to in so far as it does not contravene Islamic law – Quran and Traditions of the Holy Prophet Mohammed,) allows for people of all faiths to practice their religion within the legal ambit as enshrined.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
But let all Muslims in Ghana ask ourselves whether or not we have asserted ourselves that much on the score of religious freedoms of our kids. Many Muslims kids (at different levels of the academic rung) have become victims of an anti – Islamic system that compels them to partake in a worship that they DO NOT ascribe to. All this is the case even as our religion frowns on compulsion of any kind that a person should become Muslim. Indeed, as far as Islam is concerned, an adherent of the faith is GUIDED by Allah and shall be of the successful on Judgment Day insha Allah.
That a Muslim child is thrust into the hands of the ‘kaafir’ – non believing – teachers from their formative years till their adolescence is a great ILL of at least my time and would be the case for the next generation if we don’t act and do so NOW.
Many times Muslim kids have come home singing hymns and other songs that are not in conformity with Islamic tenets and dogmas, why; because they are forced to attend school worship ceremonies usually on Wednesdays. Nauseatingly yet, these kids are to a large extent being forced to contribute to paying of ‘collection,’ another strikingly amazing area of compulsion failure to which they are punished. Mind you, this worship thing is in principle not sanctioned by the Ghana Education Service.
CALL TO ACTION
Clearly therefore, the law is on the part of Muslims but yet we fail woefully to assert ourselves and stand up to right what is a blatant wrong without a shred of doubt. For how long shall we allow Muslims kids to be sent through this blatant coercion? Shamelessly rather than unconsciously, even in Muslim schools that have been flooded by non Muslim teachers, this concept of worship is ongoing in sharp contrast to Muslim schools that have yet to force a non Muslim to partake in Salat (Compulsory prayers).
One case indeed very far from compulsion that can be cited is of how Ghana Lebanon Islamic Secondary School (GLISS) and other girls Islamic schools have made the wearing of veil compulsory for ALL students.
I am witness to a case in the school that I attended at Senior High School level, I was in St. Thomas Aquinas SHS – a catholic boys day school, and in the day we sang, danced, knelt and worshiped with the priests and nuns during mass. Whiles some practiced temporal Catholicism, the recalcitrant Muslims who skipped this mass – much as I disagreed with them – almost always had us all in trouble when the authorities hatched subtle plans to sabotage entry of Muslims, unconstitutional as it was.
Clearly a Muslim had better be absent than to show up in school during mass and be playing hide-and-seek with the authorities. That did not serve the general Muslim community and would never so do under any circumstances.
THE WAY FORWARD
Even if a block a day, let us start building our own schools where we can teach Muslim kids true unadulterated ISLAM void of all the unconstitutional compulsion that comes with it. Muslims should realize that all the schools that we fancy as prestigious and yearn for their children to enroll in earned their names over the years and certainly so must we build and empower our own schools to make it (them) insha Allah great and strong.
As for those government owned schools who clearly are flouting the GES and State Laws, let us stand up to them and insist that the right thing be done. Right is right and the opposite stands true.
Let us show some pride for ISLAM and if possible withdraw our kids from schools that refuse to abide by the law, subsequently, when it is that non Muslims enroll in our schools, let us not do what we protest is being done to ours.
CONCLUSION
For far too long, Muslims in this country (Ghana) have left too much to chance; it is as though we are meant to accept whatever situation that exists hook, line and sinker; yet we boast of a number of influential Muslims at every rung of the social ladder.
If we fail to act today, it shall be tantamount to having failed generations yet to be born. Mind you, the effects of technology and other intervening variables points to the fact that we must act NOW in our best interest of having obeyed the dictates of Allah. We are Muslims - one of million others fortunate to be worshippers of the one TRU GOD - Allah Subhaanahuu Wa Ta Aalaa. May HE be our aid, guide and protector in this life and forgive our trespasses here and in the hereafter. Salam!
© Abdur Rahman Shaban Alfa
alfarsenal@yahoo.com/newcguide@gmail.com
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
Hijab Campaign: Responsibilities Beyond The Right To Veil
Introduction
Alhmadu lil Laah
(All Praise is due to Allah) for the blessing of life and of Islam.
I have observed with
pride as a group of Muslims stood up to demand an adherence of constitutional
rights we (Ghanaian Muslims) had left fallow for all these years. ‘Sankofa
yenkyiri’ to wit; better late than never.
I however have mixed
feelings on the singling out ‘hijab’ as the pivot around which the 20th
of February protest in Ghana’s Western Region was held. The Western Region is
far Ghana’s most islamically vibrant region in my view.
The hijab issue is
important.
But the protest
results are exciting as they are frightening. For purposes of this piece I will
restrict myself to the case of second cycle institutions under Government
subvention.
Refusal of Muslim
Adults to Veil: Not. Not. Not
I decided so because
I fail to understand why a female doctor can wear her hijab to practice but a
Muslim nurse is barred so to do. Annoyingly yet, at the critical stage of
surgery, you see the entire team having their heads covered.
That a married
Muslim nurse is not allowed to practice her religion in 21st century
Ghana is nothing short of preposterous, nauseating to say the least. Insha
Allah a topic for another day.
Touchy Case of SHS
Veiling: Call to Tread Cautiously
There are public and
private Senior High Schools all over the country. Majority; if not all of them
belong to the Government even though they are loosely referred to as ‘mission’
schools; given that they bear the name of one church or the other.
What we have been
made to believe over the years is that Government’s extent of involvement is the
basis on which Muslim students often gain admission. That is not entirely
accurate. If that were the case; these churches would not have in the recent
past suggested that the schools be returned to them. (i.e. the missions) A
topic for another day insha Allah
The hijab is an
important first step and trigger. It can make or break a long walk to assert
rights that we have hitherto not exercised. The bigger picture however is
recognition of religious freedom.
To me, all of that
issuance of political statements came in too quick and to that end, I side with
the Christian Council’s position that whiles tolerance was important as a
people, there was the need to look into the issue properly.
I choose to call it;
streamline the hijab to bring orderliness.
The Communication
Ministry issued a statement hours after the protest and I wondered to myself;
what was the definition of ‘Hijab’ they were referring to? Could it be the
headscarf that covered the hair, ears and neck, the one that has a camel hump,
the one that conceals only the hair of the female?
What color was going
to be acceptable? Here; consider a school that wears black and white for
instance having students streaming in with different colors of veils, with
different specs as above listed.
That is a slap in
the face of uniformed orderliness especially for a system that hitherto had all
students dressed same from head to toe. All I am saying is; someone should have
called for a stakeholder meeting to streamline the new air of freedom that was
blowing.
Again, let us; as a
community know the extent to which we seek to embolden each other in standing
up to authority. Calls to flatly resist any orders to unveil at school, could
have been better managed.
We already have
character perception issues and this ‘stand up and demand your rights’ wasn’t
going to help matters immediately or in the future. We may dispute it today but
how we handle the results of this hijabi ‘victory’ will affect generations yet
unborn.
Would Muslim
students get smooth entry into these schools if we come across as ‘abrasive’
(for want of a better word) towards authority? Yes the computer placement but
it is people who make these entries, that we cannot dispute.
The hijab right
thing on the other hand would be a source of fitna especially because; most of
these girls who would never had done rasta and worn weave-ons can now
conveniently so do, Monday to Sunday.
Their hairs are
covered and its style and makeup, hitherto open for inspection is today
concealed thanks to the hijabi rights wave. Then again, there comes the issue
of tarbiyya and preaching on how the Muslimah should carry herself about.
Summary
We cannot continue to protest at everything constitutional provision we think is ours as a matter of right. We must adopt a lot of diplomacy going forward on issues relative to asserting our rights. The issue of prayer places Muslims has been a long standing one that needs to be approached tactically.
It would be sad to see that in a sick haste and as we rightfully proclaim "right, right, right," we do not end up neglecting the responsibility that comes with these rights. I also wish to implore especially Muslim youth leaders (here I am referring to Ghana Muslim Students Association (GMSA)) to be measured in the way and manner they engage school authorities.
The rather unstructured leadership front that we have as Muslims coupled with the lack of action by our leaders add on the 'almost' dead 'Islamic Education' turned ;Arabic Education is worsening our woes as an Ummah.
Without doubt, there
shall be other rights The Muslim Rights Front, has kick started what could be a
long walk to asserting other constitutional rights that we have FAILED to work
towards implementing. We seek Allah’s guidance for them and entreat all Muslims
to be part of this. May Allah have mercy on us and continually guide us onto
the right path. Ameen!
12th
Jumadal Oolaa 1436 = 03 March, 2015
Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban
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