Revered Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi has in his usual elements come out to speak on the level of ‘ignorance’ in the Northern part of Nigeria which he says is pervasive.
He was reacting to the recent arrest of a 13-year-old girl, Zahrau Babangida, who claimed she was ready to ‘die as a martyr’ by committing a suicide bombing.
However, on Friday (yesterday), Sheikh Gumi said it was the biological father of the girl who is responsible for her planned suicide bombings as she was forced to do so.
He further said that the roots of the problem are deeper than simple persuasion of innocent children by the jihadists. It’s the problem of the society that venerates ignorance, he said in a statement published on his official Facebook.
The statement reads: “Ours – I mean the northern Muslims especially – is a case of self-anihilation. Worst still we don’t enjoy the only ‘virtue of ignorance’ which is to accept you don’t know hence you seek for proper knowledge. Our ignorance is compound. We don’t know that we don’t know. Talk less of seeking for knowledge.
“The religion we claim to know is the first that condemns us. We are heretics, superstitious and many of us heathens. We can only bark, revile, abuse and foam. In the end we commit suicide. All because we refuse to learn and accord knowledge the reverence it deserves.
“Imagine people annihilating themselves by refusing vaccination. Even if the majority has agreed, the point is that it lacks the leadership dexterity to convince or forces the others into doing the proper thing. We are now the shame of mankind. From among us the polio virus has an abode and a settlement to reinfect humanity again.
“For long we rejected modern education – I dare call it Western – whereas Islam was the precursor and catalyst of modernism. Name it medicine, law, astronomy, mathematics etc. Even if the majority has accepted it, the point is that we lack the leadership acumen to divert most of our resources to augment education. We spend billions on entra Hajj and Umra and polygamous male chauvinistic stunts than pay attention to want is more preferential to our religious obligations and worldy achievements.
“Our choice is seldom anything but sentimental. Our temperament is reactionary not proactive. Our ignorance has become the honeycomb of our leaders, religious or otherwise. If not how can the poor illiterates be convinced to make trek miles in scorching sun seeking for blessings without Divine counsel? How can people cling to false hopes for salvation, crimes and criminals for emancipation? You don’t kill if you want to survive and you don’t deceive if you don’t want to be deceived. This is the golden rule of life.
“In this people, Zahrau Babangida was born 13 years ago. So there is little or no wonder.
We have to be true to ourselves. If it’s poverty that is tormenting to us stupidity let us know that the poverty is because of our doing. We had enough resources to build our selves but our priority is somewhere else. We have geniuses, doctors, engineers, teachers etc but they all are under the spell of an ignorant people. Their strategy is just ‘Shut up!’ to save your skin. But I say No speak up to save a nation. Let us properly educate ourselves. It’s the only lasting remedy to our predicament.”
It would be added that the girl revealed Boko Haram extremists threatened to bury her and other girls alive in case of refusal to embark on a suicide mission. Zahrau remains in custody, while the police and security operatives continue investigations. Currently they are looking for the father of the girl, who allegedly belongs to Boko Haram.
Brilliant Shiekh Gumi. I dont agree with some of your utterances but you are spot on this time around. I say it all the time, there is a culture of irresponsibility pervading northern Nigeria. Some say ita poverty but isnt there poverty in Niger, Gambia, Ghana etc. Ours is a society filled with religiosity that reduces the capacity of people to reason. Just imagine people being paid 200 naira to change their vote. We are not well in this society. Solution: education education education. Lets begin to deprive people access to basic amenities if they deny their children education.
is a beautiful write up. I am glad the religious leaders are the one voicing out the problem now. I have almost gone mad for the past few years trying to convince my fellow northerners of the state of ignorance we are facing but knowing fully well that the only ones that can make this change happened our mallams are not on board. So this article is a welcome development and I pray is the beginning of a new awaking fir the Northern religious leader and.