While some dreamers on this forum are wasting their lives in cyber space, people in the real world are actually making progress. It does not take a genius to realize that nairaland is slowly but surely becoming a hate forum and the only consolation for those of us who have been campaigning against the hate campaign is that the propaganda going on here has NO EFFECT WHATSOEVER on real world events.

On Wednesday, January 13, all roads led to the Aiport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, where a book, Glimpses of Madrasa from Africa written by Lai Olurode, a Professor of Sociology from University of Lagos, was launched.

Among the speakers and erudite scholars who graced the event were former education minister, Prof. Babatunde Fafunwa, Secretary-General of Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Dr AbdulLateef Adegbite, University of Ilorin Vice Chancellor, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, Action Congress National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, Alhaja Amatul Kafeel Oshodi, president, Islamic Network for Development (IND) and House of Representatives Chairman, Committee on Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

In her welcome address, the IND President, Oshodi recalled vividly that, “as a young girl who grew up in Lagos, I met a budding madrasa which served a variety of purposes. First, apart from instilling in us Arabic and Islamic education, a typical madrasa also kept us away from the bad guys in the neighborhood. Third, Quranic memorization kept our intellect alert and Fourth, our parents and guardians need not worry about our whereabouts when they were away at their workplaces be these at home or elsewhere.”

She, however, lamented that, “the coming of colonialism and its claim to civilization mission with its patent hatred for tradition and particularly Islamic representations had resulted in a decline and suffocation of Islamic heritage generally and madrasa in particular. Learning in Arabic was devalued as it was adjudged as irrelevant under the new dispensation,” Oshodi regretted.
Speaking on the occasion, the author of the book, Olurode gave reasons that made the writing of the book imperative.

His words: “Islam is the fastest spreading religion in North America today with people seeking succour in the religion yearly and no other country has sought to bring Islam to its people as the U.S has been able to accomplish. Paradoxically however, there are profound imponderable and conundrum. The belief in countries where Islam is a dominant or decisive force is that the U.S is the leader of those waging war against Islam. The second leg of the paradox is that Muslims generally, and Muslim youths in particular perceive themselves as being under siege. My research objectives were therefore partly to clarify, through a highlight of the profile of Madrasa, the entrenched notion in the West that it is a conservative institution and that it is a breeding ground for terrorism. Related to this is that in the context of globalized Islam as suggested by Oliver Roy (2003), it is important to reflect on how Madrasa resources can be deployed to promote literacy and poverty reduction strategies. My research findings have invited stakeholders’ attention to the need to breathe life into Madrasa as a civil institution by re-organizing and re-branding it with some depth. Kenya has succeeded more than Nigeria in this direction through the Aga Khan Foundation,” the don stated.

And all the speakers unanimously called for the review of the curriculum of Madrasa (Arabic schools) in the country.
Chief Akande lamented the falling of the gains young children benefit by attending Madrasas in the past.
“It stimulates their mentality because you do a lot of cramming. When you do it at that age, by the time you get to advance age, you learn with ease. Also, it introduces you to the religion of your parents, which is part of their culture. And when you grow old and expose to other cultures, you will be able to either defend or re-analyse or change your position, which will be done on the basis of knowledge rather than ignorance of one and start condemning other,” he said.

The former governor of Osun State canvassed teaching of science along with religion.
This, he said, would instill discipline in the students and help them understand their culture better.
“Children need to be educated in sciences because we are practising the British culture. Likewise parents should expose their children to cultural education. Many people present today are universities professors who at their young age had religious education. So, cultural education does not affect their basic knowledge,” he noted.

The best way to improve the cultural understanding of the young Muslims, Chief Akande said, is for all muslins to send their children to an Arabic school, make sure they learn Arabic studies very well before enrolling them in Western schools.
Dr Adegbite urged graduates of Madrasas to also acquire Western knowledge.

This, he said, would make them relevant in the society.
He seized the opportunity of the event to reiterate NSCIA condemnation of the attempted bombing of an American-bound aircraft.
He added that the action is alien to the teachings of Islam.
He urged parents to monitor the activities of their wards and emulate Alhaji Abdul Mutallab’s gesture to report any child found engaging in suspicious acts.

Prof Fafunwa informed the gathering that the spread of Islam in the country was accompanied by the establishment of the Quranic schools otherwise known as Madrasa.
The same thing, he said, obtains for the Christian religion through Bible class.
He stated that Islam values education more than any other thing.
“That is why the first word revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad was Iqra which means Read. Thus, from the word go, the Holy Quran established all the psychological conditions essential for acquisition of knowledge,” he explained.
Dabiri-Erewa called for reflection on how aspect of the nation’s heritage and extant cultural practices as provided by Madrasas can be incorporated into modern socialization practices.
This, she said, would reverse the trend toward rudderlessness among the youth in navigating this turbulent world.

http://sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/sunlightofislam/2010/jan/22/sunofislam-22-01-2010-001.htm

Probably hiding bombs between the leaves of those books

SEFAGO:

Probably hiding bombs between the leaves of those books

Really?

SEFAGO:

Probably hiding bombs between the leaves of those books 

All this talk of muslims islam and religion period is fuckin getting annoying as shiot. Is that what Nigeria needs now? NO. He should go write a book that betters all Nigerians this religion trash is sooooo 1029 AD -old as shiot.

lame asses i dont wanna hear about any christian things or islam

FYII im a christian but have muslim relatives and i dont let any freakin pastor talk mess in my ear or any freakin imam
Western education should be a the forefront of everything.

sjeezy8:

All this talk of muslims islam and religion period is fuckin getting annoying as shiot. Is that what Nigeria needs now? NO. He should go write a book that betters all Nigerians this religion trash is sooooo 1029 AD -old as shiot.

lame asses i dont wanna hear about any christian things or islam

FYII im a christian but have muslim relatives and i dont let any freakin pastor talk mess in my ear or any freakin imam
Western education should be a the forefront of everything.

I wonder if its because the post is not a negative post about Islam

Anyway sjeezy8 do you mind moving a motion here that all tribalism and religion posts should go to the tribalism and religion sections respectively? ill support you pronto.

you should have put in the religion section in the first place

I am yet to see the hatred that this man is talking about.
The Nairalanders are speaking out against people in the name of religion killing others
They are speaking out against some idiots being brainwashed and wanna kill himself and kill others that are not tired of life yet, or that are not into going to get some 24 virgins anywhere
They are speaking out against some tribe trying to kill other tribes, so if that is what you call hatred, then, i guess, you need to tell me what you expect those that has been affected by all the nonsense to do
Do you expect the tribes being killed, the religion being slaughtered to be singing praises of those that feel threatened by the co-existence of the other?

Fhemmy if you cannot see any hatred here good for you.

A lot of threads here are started out of spite for the other man's religion or tribe!

Anybody who doesn't see that is closing his eyes to those posts on purpose!

Until people begin to tell their followers the truth,we can't move forward.

How many of the 'political heavyweights' sent their children to 'madrassas' & islamic schools ?

How many do not have children studying/living in USA,Europe??

This guys are pure deceivers.

Their poor ,wretched followers seem to think these people take their religion to heart

When I hear things like 'islam is the fastest growing religion in North America',what does that mean?? Are we taking into coignisance the prison inmates who have nothing to hold on to ,but the 'new non-white,liberating' religion or the thousands of immigrants from the muslim world??

Even if this isn't the case,does Islam's rate of growth,somewhat stop the ever growing fanaticism & terrorism?

These are questions these 'scholars' should tackle rather than blaming others for all their problems.

There are no madrassas in the ME,they are all embracing western education to improve their lives ,but the poor countries continue to go back in time. . .

illusion2:

Until people begin to tell their followers the truth,we can't move forward.

How many of the 'political heavyweights' sent their children to 'madrassas' & islamic schools ?

How many do not have children studying/living in USA,Europe??

This guys are pure deceivers.

Their poor ,wretched followers seem to think these people take their religion to heart

When I hear things like 'islam is the fastest growing religion in North America',what does that mean?? Are we taking into coignisance the prison inmates who have nothing to hold on to ,but the 'new non-white,liberating' religion or the thousands of immigrants from the muslim world??

Even if this isn't the case,does Islam's rate of growth,somewhat stop the ever growing fanaticism & terrorism?

These are questions these 'scholars' should tackle rather than blaming others for all their problems.

There are no madrassas in the ME,they are all embracing western education to improve their lives ,but the poor countries continue to go back in time. . .

That is where you get it wrong, there is nothing that stops Religion and Education going hand in hand. That is the perfect scenario

That is the whole essence of this post but surely you are too blinded by your convictions to see that

real4life:

That is where you get it wrong, there is nothing that stops Religion and Education going hand in hand. That is the perfect scenario

That is the whole essence of this post but surely you are too blinded by your convictions to see that

Most of NL non-Muslims are so much blind to reason on any issues related to Islam and Muslim. I too can't imagine how and why?

Kosovo!!!!!!! Get this Thread away from the POLITICS section please.

real4life:

That is where you get it wrong, there is nothing that stops Religion and Education going hand in hand. [b]That is the perfect scenario[/b]That is the whole essence of this post but surely you are too blinded by your convictions to see that

Blinded ?? Not in the least my friend. Im all for incorporating religious instruction into school work,I remember back in the days (secondary school) we had CRK & IRK (Christian religious knowledge & Islamic religious knowledge) up to GCE level,I dnt know what is the case now,there's absolutely nothing wrong with that,& I strongly believe its important.

But when you talk about 'Madrassas' ,you obviously do not know what its about ,these is where religious fundamenatlism is taught. All the terrorists blowing up themslves,where do you think they were radicalised??

That is the easiest place,especially with Saudi backed funding of wahabbi Islam,you are taught you are here to fight for your God,its right to kill others etc. Loading young children with such hate is WRONG !!!

But if it is incorporated into regular school curriculum,that is better. Or better still,parents should take time to teach their children. . . . not some radical imam from pakistan telling you America is working for the devil etc

bibiking1:

Kosovo!!!!!!! Get this Thread away from the POLITICS section please.

So typical! The idea that Islam is good makes you fume in rage.

This is about politicians in the "real world" focusing on the excellence of Religion in character building.

illusion2:

Blinded ?? Not in the least my friend. Im all for incorporating religious instruction into school work,I remember back in the days (secondary school) we had CRK & IRK (Christian religious knowledge & Islamic religious knowledge) up to GCE level,I dnt know what is the case now,there's absolutely nothing wrong with that,& I strongly believe its important.

But when you talk about 'Madrassas' ,you obviously do not know what its about ,these is where religious fundamenatlism is taught. All the terrorists blowing up themslves,where do you think they were radicalised??

That is the easiest place,especially with Saudi backed funding of wahabbi Islam,you are taught you are here to fight for your God,its right to kill others etc. Loading young children with such hate is WRONG !!!

But if it is incorporated into regular school curriculum,that is better. Or better still,parents should take time to teach their children. . . . not some radical imam from pakistan telling you America is working for the devil etc

You are obviously an expert in that department, have you been to one yourself? just curious

Yoruba Islamic Terrorist teachers launched a new book on how to perfect Terrorism.

Wily*Wily:

Yoruba Islamic Terrorist teachers launched a new book on how to perfect Terrorism.

Disgraced Niger Delta terrorist Wily Wily you never broke? When are you striking next?

Wilywily
you must be outta your mind

how many of the guest are really heavyweight as claimed?

No mind them,
all those Yorubas are Islamic Terrorist, they were launching their new method of Terrorism

jimmysho:

how many of the guest are really heavyweight as claimed?

Thanks for your contribution. NEXT