By: Aboo Aamir Ishaaq bn AbdirRaheem
In the Name of Allaah the Most Compassionate the Most Beneficent
In the past weeks, there have been reports of discovery of torture and rehabilitation centres with a sizeable Muslim attribution in Nigeria. It was first mainly discovered in the Northern part of the country before the searchlight was beamed on the South via Ilorin. The latest was the one discovered at Ibadan in a couple of days ago known as Oloore Mosque where for ages had been a centre for reformation of people with infirmity of the mind and those who posed one or two threats to the society whose parents could not handle.
Truly in such centres, which are not limited to the ones controlled by certain local Muslims alone, weird and crude things happen all in the name of reforming hardened persons.
While it is normal that the torture cum rehabilitation centres be contained and checked, it has become necessary that the agencies responsible for the control should not mistake genuine centres of Islamic education for torture chambers as the message is being subtly sold to the public.
This piece, on one part, is an appeal to the concerned government agencies that they should not become ready tools in destroying the genuine Islamic education, in other words, they should not be agents of torture for the genuine Islamic education.
There are many well structured centres of Islamic education where the Qur'aan and its associated subjects are learnt across the country. These centres, for sure, are established to cater for the need of Muslim pupils and are not places of reformation for touts and thugs.
On the other part, the custodians of genuine Islamic centres across the country should ensure that their centres meet up the standard practices in their respective locations.
The environment where they operate must be neat and tidy. The building must be good looking. The hostel facilities (if there is) must be adequate. The students being trained should exhibit the good training they are receiving. The centres must be accessible to the public. The pupils should not be subjected to any form of inhumane treatment. There should be adequate health care service for the centres. The custodians of the centres should have good relationship with their immediate neighbours.
Islamic educators should ensure their centres are not turned to places where public-rejected wards are dumped for forceful rehabilitation.
It is also advised that the Islamic centres should get any form of registration under the government even if it is at the local government level, if they could register as charities with the Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, better.
The centres should also be conspicuous enough for all to see. They should not be cited in a forest-like area that suggests a sort of den for shady acts.
The Muslim public should see the Islamic centres as places collectively owned by all the Muslims hence they should always offer any help and assistance they can to these centres. There maybe indigent students in these centres in need of support, the Muslim philanthropists should always be on ground.
The Muslim public should know that the existence of these centres where the Qur'aan and Sunnah are memorized and studied is the very soul of Islam. Without them Islam vanishes gradually in the society.
It is believed if the above observations are taken care of, our Islamic centres will be safe from the evil machinations of those seeking the destruction and torture of the Islamic education in Nigeria and elsewhere.
May Allaah protect the Muslims.
