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Tag: Muslim

  • Board fixes April 30 deadline for payment of 2018 hajj fare

    Board fixes April 30 deadline for payment of 2018 hajj fare

    The Oyo State Muslim Pilgrims’ Welfare Board has fixed April 30 as deadline for payment of the 2018 hajj fare for all intending pilgrims in the state.

    The Chairman of the board, Alhaji Taofeek Akewugbagold, said this on Sunday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan.

    Akewugbagold said that the state collected N1.1 million from intending pilgrims pending the final fare to be announced by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.

    The Oyo State board chairman said that all registration relating to 2018 hajj must be completed by May 31 unless Saudi Arabia extends the date.

    The chairman said that the centres for orientation, material distribution and inoculation for intending pilgrims had been decentralized.

    “Orientation, distribution of hajj materials and inoculation now takes place in Saki, Igboho, Ogbomoso, Kishi, this is to make the centres closer to the pilgrims and reduce travel stress,’’ Akewugbagold said.

    He advised pilgrims to fear Allah in their deeds as they gather money for the journey.

    Akewugbagold said that adequate security had been put in place with relevant security agencies to ensure that no pilgrim carry any contraband to Saudi Arabia.

    “The turnout for this year’s hajj in the state is very impressive because of the past record of the board. Close to 500 pilgrims has so far paid.

    “We have special packages for the aged and we are proud that for the past four years, Oyo State has been trying to maintain that we get accommodation closest to the Haram.

    “ A lot of sacrifice was made to ensure that we secure accommodation for the state pilgrims within the vicinity of Haram,’’ Akewugbagold said.

     

  • Christian, Muslim youths organise prayers for Nigeria, Buhari in Abuja

    Some youths in Abuja held a prayer session on Friday in a bid to seek a divine intervention in the perfect restoration of President Buhari’s health and the nation’s unity.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that various clerics took part in the prayers which commenced on Thursday evening and ended on Friday afternoon at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

    Addressing the participants who came from all parts of the country, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Chief Makole Azugbene, lauded them for raising the nation before God in prayers.

    He called on the government to pay special attention to the youths by creating the right environment for them to express themselves creatively.

    He said, “Today, Nigeria our fatherland is faced with a situation where our maximum efforts are yielding minimum results. The youth have been abused, misused and left despondent.

    “Yet, rather than resort to violence, they have chosen the path of peace. The youth is the hope of this country and as such deserve special attention. Our leaders must not live their today and tomorrow that rightly belonged to the youth.”

    Also speaking, the Chairman, Forum of State Chairmen, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Amb. Sara-Igbe Sukubo said religious harmony is practicable in a multi-religious country like Nigeria.

    He noted that the situation in the country called for the youth to stand for national unity and equally seek divine intervention.

    “By this prayer programme, we redefined the uniqueness of our diverse ethnicity as a fulcrum for national unity and strength,” Sukubo stated.

    The Founder of Belema Foundation, Jack-Rich Tein, identified the challenges in the country to include the non-engagement of youths in nation building and misuse of available resources.

  • Photo News: Ambode celebrates Eid-el Fitri with Muslim faithfuls across Lagos

    Following his decision to host Muslims in the state for the 2017 Eid-el-Fitri celebrations across the 20 Local Government Areas, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode made well his promise as he was physically present to celebrate with them in some LGAs in the state.

    He was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode.

    See pictures from the event below:

    R-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef; Chief Imam, Lagos Mainland Mosque, Alhaji Sabitu Akanni and Leader, Conference of Islamic Organisation, Alhaji Abdullahi Shuaib (left) during the Eid-el-Fitri celebration at Evans Square, Ebute-Metta on Sunday, June 25, 2017.

     

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd right), exchanging greetings with Rtd. Justice Ishola olorunnibe (left) while the Sole Administrator, Mainland Local Government, Hon. Adedoyin Rojaiye (right) and Leader, Conference of Islamic Organisation, Alhaji Abdullahi Shuaib (2nd left), watch during the Eid-el-Fitri celebration at Evans Square, Ebute-Metta on Sunday, June 25, 2017.

     

    R-L: Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, with Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef and Chief Imam, Lagos Mainland Mosque, Alhaji Sabitu Akkani during the Eid-el-Fitri celebration at Evans Square, Ebute-Metta on Sunday, June 25, 2017.

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd right); Sole Administrator, Mainland Local Government, Hon. Adedoyin Rojaiye (right); Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef (middle); Chief Imam, Lagos Mainland Mosque, Alhaji Sabitu Akkani (2nd left) and Leader, Conference of Islamic Organisation, Alhaji Abdullahi Shuaib (left) during the Eid-el-Fitri celebration at Evans Square, Ebute-Metta on Sunday, June 25, 2017.

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle); Sole Administrators, Mainland Local Government, Hon. Adedoyin Rojaiye (2ndright); Yaba Local Government, Hon. Bayo Adefuye (right); Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef (2nd left) and Chief Imam, Lagos Mainland Mosque, Alhaji Sabitu Akkani (left) during the Eid-el-Fitri celebration at Evans Square, Ebute-Metta on Sunday, June 25, 2017.

     

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), with APC Chieftain in Ifako-Ijaiye, Alhaji Ayokunmi Akande (right) and Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef (middle) during the Eid-el-Fitri celebration at the Ifako-Ijaiye Mini Stadium, on Sunday, June 25, 2017.

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (middle), with member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency I, Hon. Dayo Saka Fafunmi (2nd left); Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga (left); Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef (2nd right) and member, House of Representatives, Hon. Nurudeen Akinwunmi (right) during the Eid-el-Fitri celebration at the Ifako-Ijaiye Mini Stadium, on Sunday, June 25, 2017.

     

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (2nd right); congratulating the winner of Quran recitation, Master Abduqayyum Onifade (3rd left) during the Eid-el-Fitri celebration at the Ifako-Ijaiye Mini Stadium, on Sunday, June 25, 2017. With them are Commissioner for Home Affairs, Dr. Abdul-Hakeem Abdul-Lateef (right); member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency I, Hon. Dayo Saka Fafunmi (3rd right); Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga (4thright) and Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde (5thright).

     

     

    Wife of Lagos State the Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode (2ndright), presenting a gift to one of the winners of dancing competition, Mrs. Idiat Tugbeyi (left) during the Eid-il-Fitri celebration at one of the designated centres, Marina Waterfront, Epe, Lagos, on Sunday, June 25, 2017. With them are member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Abiodun Tobun (3rd right) and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Mrs. Toyin Awoseyi (right).

     

     

    Wife of Lagos State the Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode (middle), flanked by member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Abiodun Tobun (left) and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Mrs. Toyin Awoseyi (right) during the Eid-il-Fitri celebration at one of the designated centres, Marina Waterfront, Epe, Lagos, on Sunday, June 25, 2017.

     

     

    Wife of Lagos State the Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode (2nd right); member, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Abiodun Tobun (middle); Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, Mrs. Toyin Awoseyi (right); APC Chieftains in Epe, Chief Akanni Seriki (left) and Chief Lanre Razaq (2nd left) during the Eid-il-Fitri celebration at one of the designated centres, Marina Waterfront, Epe, Lagos, on Sunday, 25thJune, 2017.

  • We are devastated says family of suspect in London mosque attack

    The family of a man suspected of driving a rented van into Muslim worshippers after they left prayers at a north London mosque said they are devastated at the “madness” of the attack.

    The vehicle swerved into the group of worshippers, mainly of North and West African origin, after they left prayers in the early hours of Monday at the Muslim Welfare House and the nearby Finsbury Park Mosque in north London, one of the biggest in Britain, injuring 11.

    Police said it was clearly targeted at Muslims and Prime Minister Theresa May described it as a “sickening” terrorist attack.

    A 47-year-old man was restrained by locals at the scene and police later arrested him on suspicion of attempted murder and terrorism offences.

    He is still being questioned by detectives.

    The suspect was named by British media as Darren Osborne, 47, a father-of-four, who lived in the Welsh capital Cardiff.

    In a statement given to local media on behalf of his family, his nephew Ellis Osborne said: “We are massively shocked; it’s unbelievable, it still hasn’t really sunk in.

    “We are devastated for the families, our hearts go out to the people who have been injured. It’s madness. It is obviously sheer madness.”

    The incident at Finsbury Park was the fourth attack in Britain since March and the third to involve a vehicle deliberately driven at pedestrians.

    The previous attacks had been blamed on Islamist extremists.

    The latest attack comes at a tumultuous time for the government with Britain starting complex divorce talks with the European Union and May negotiating with a small Northern Irish party to stay in power after losing her parliamentary majority in a snap election that backfired.

    An imam from the Muslim Welfare House who stepped in to protect the driver from the angry crowd after the incident was hailed as a hero in British newspapers on Tuesday.

    “We found that a group of people quickly started to collect around him … and some tried to hit him either with kicks or punches,” Mohammed Mahmoud told reporters.

    “By God’s grace we managed to surround him and to protect him from any harm.”

    Security Minister Ben Wallace said the man was not known to the security services and police said they believed he was acting alone.

    They were carrying out searches of addresses in Cardiff where the vehicle hire company that the van was rented from was based.

  • Pastor buys car for Muslim girl who converted to Christianity

    The General Overseer of Omega Power Ministries, OPM, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere presented a Mazda MPV car to a Muslim woman, Miss Ganiyo Sherifat who converted to Christianity.

    The car presentation was made known to the public via a statement published on the church’s offcial facebook page yesterday.

    According to the statement, the beneficiary, Miss Ganiyo Sherifat, a Muslim who turned Christian is a pupil of OPM free nursery and primary school Port Harcourt.

    The Osun state indigene was said to have been rewarded for emerging the best preacher in a Sunday service preaching competition.

  • Australian Govt urges Islamic leaders to publicly denounce terrorism

    Australian Govt urges Islamic leaders to publicly denounce terrorism

    The Australian government on Thursday urged Muslim leaders to be “loud in their condemnation” of Islamic extremism.

    Multicultural Affairs Minister Zed Seselja who made the call also said that Australia needs to have an “honest conversation” about the threat posed by terrorism.

    Seselja who who delivered Canberra’s strongest message yet about Islamic extremism, declaring that Australians needed to stop “pretending that Islamist terrorists are mentally ill and not driven by an extreme ideology.”

    “We must have an honest conversation about terrorism and get tough on all forms of extremism and violence,’’ Seselja posted to social media platform Twitter.

    The comments followed a terror attack on Monday that saw a gunman kill one man and take a woman hostage at an apartment building in a Melbourne suburb.

    Recently, a man forced a Malaysia Airlines flight to return to Melbourne earlier when he demanded access to the cockpit, claiming he had an explosive device.

    Seselja’s comment came after he was invited to speak at an open forum in Parramatta, during which he said it was important that the government calls out terrorism for “what it is.’’

    He said more important for moderate Muslims who had been too quiet on recent events to denounce terrorism and terrorist ideologies.

    “It’s important that we call it how we see it, we need moderate Muslims to be loud in their condemnation in their communities.

    “Our freedom, our values, and in some cases our lives are under threat from barbaric Islamist terrorists, they want to harm us as individuals, our families, our communities, and our way of life.

    “Those who believe in this Islamist ideology are a small minority of Muslims, but there are still far too many of them.

    “So it’s on the majority including the moderate, peaceful Muslims of our world to rise up against this,’’ Seselja emphasised.

    Seselja said Australia needed to have an “open discussion” about the scourge while also promoting the vast majority of “good (Muslim) citizens.

    “We are surely mature enough as a nation to have an open discussion about the inspiration for Islamist terrorism in Salafist jihadist teaching.

    “We can at the same time acknowledge that most Muslims in Australia are good citizens who reject this ­extremism,’’ he said.

     

  • Muslim girls must attend mixed swimming lessons, ECHR rules

    The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled on Tuesday that Swiss authorities did not violate the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion in the refusal to exempt two Muslim girls from mixed swimming lessons.

    The children’s obligation to follow the full school curriculum took precedence over their parents’ demand for their exemption on religious grounds, the Strasbourg-based international court ECHR said, adding that “the domestic authorities had not exceeded the considerable margin of appreciation afforded to them in the present case, which concerned compulsory education”.

    Emphasizing “the special role” the school played “in the process of social integration,” the court said attending sport lessons “was not just to learn to swim and to take physical exercise, but above all to take part in that activity with all the other pupils, with no exception on account of the child’s origin or the parents’ religious or philosophical convictions”.

    The court also pointed out the authorities’ arrangements to allow the girls to wear burkinis, full-body swimwear, and to get changed with no boys present out of consideration for the parents’ religious convictions.

    In July 2010, Switzerland’s education authorities fined two Muslim girls’ parents 1,400 Swiss francs (1,380 U.S. dollars) for rejecting to send their daughters to mixed swimming lessons.

    In April 2012, the couple lodged an appeal to the ECHR.

  • Xmas: Muslim group urges collaboration with Christians to promote peace

    Xmas: Muslim group urges collaboration with Christians to promote peace

    The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) has called for collaboration between Muslims and Christians to promote the nation’s peace and progress.

    The group made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim.

    “As Christians mark the birthday of Jesus Christ, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) felicitates with them and calls on them for sober-reflection on the State of the Nation.

    “While congratulating our Christian brethren on this occasion, we Muslims invite them to ‘Let us work Together’ for peace and progress of our beloved Nation – Nigeria.”

    This, the group added, could be done by avoiding religious intolerance, fanaticism and acrimony.

    “We should both pursue love, affection and spiritual devotion with practical example to justify our believe in God.

    “From the History, both Muslims and Christians have been our brothers-keepers for long.

    “The event of Abbysinnia (now Ethiopia) where a Christian King called Negus protected the early Muslims that migrated from Makkah remains uncontroversial.

    “Also the agreement of the Holy Prophet with the Christians and Jews in Madinah when Prophet Muhammad migrated to Madinah where he sworn to protect the Christians and Jews from any aggression, oppression or victimisation.

    “As well as the warm reception he gave to them in his Mosque in Madinah during in visit by a group of Christians – are sure evidences of our long-standing relationship which must be sustained.”

    It stated that the present economic situation brought about by corruption, lack of fear of God and materialism should be a matter of serious concern to all irrespective of the religious persuasion as the problem is that of both Muslims and Christians in Nigeria.