By Okikiola Qasim
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[email protected]
The Muslim students’ society of Nigeria, MSSN on the occasion of the 60th anniversary lecture of MSSN for the north-central zone with the theme: “MSSN: impacts, problems and prospects” held at U.K.. Bello art theatre police roundabout, Minna, Niger state. on 4th Rajab 1435 ah (3rd May, 2014).
The Secretary General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, who also doubled as the chairman of the occasion went down the lane of history to educate the present era of the efforts of the founding fathers of MSSN.
He explained the circumstances that led to the formation of Muslim Society S in 1954. He said the organization was formed at the midst of the persecution of the Muslims in educational institutions in those days. He said educational institutions in those days are not possible for the Muslims to attend particularly for the school which were either operated by the mission or by the Government particularly in southwestern part of Nigeria.
To acquire western education you must choose to abandon Islam is either Islam or western education. Not only western education, even to access health facilities in the southern part of Nigeria, you must abandon your faith. It is in this circumstances that the Muslim students in and around Lagos in 1954 felt the need for them to come together and resist the onslaughts of de-islamization that was going on among those who are seeking to acquire western education. He used the opportunity to pray for Alh Abdullateef Adegbite, bro. Sholaja and all the team that fit it deem to establish MSS.
Those brothers and later sisters established MSS for just the purpose of liberating the Muslim students in educational institutions from oppression of
De islamization that was going on in the country then. They reached a position and that position was simple to gather Muslims together and struggled so that they can get their right to worship without losing their right to western education.
That was how MSS started. Almighty Allah used that little effort of theirs and crowned it to the highest, because they believed in their God Allah increased them in guardians, and that was how MSSN expanded to all over Nigeria covering the whole nation and became the voice of the elites in Nigeria throughout the 60s and the 70s. MSSN became the voice not only for the MSSN but of Islam throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria.
He said he recalled in the late 70s that MSSN had to represent the Ummah of Nigeria in almost everything that were been done by the Government of Nigeria, because they knew that MSSN would criticize, analyze whatever action of Government and would come out with propositions that would not only be of the interest of the Islam but of the country Nigeria.
He said that was MSSN going through 70s, 80s before we had our set back, the set back as expected was because we were overwhelmed, overwhelmed by numerous problems, lack of capacity to confront those problems created a situation that some of us felt is either 100 percent Islam or no Islam at all, he said he believed that was the beginning of the problem of MSSN of Nigeria. He said he appreciates the current leadership of MSSN for moving from zone to zone in bringing all the Muslims together. He said the Dawah of today is Dawah of intelligence. He congratulated all for the success so far. He challenged all members to be a good ambassador of Islam
He called on the government of Nigeria to be fear to all, the current situation where by Muslims are being persecuted, denied their right in public space in Nigeria would not be good. If you look at so many appointments and so many things being done without any respect for the feeling of the Muslims, this would not promote national interest, this would not promote national security; this would not be good for the integration of our country. We call the government to redress all the anomalies in public line. We do not persecute anybody and we do not want to be persecuted. May Allah give the wisdom to fear and just in this country?
The 34th National President of The Muslim Students’ Society Of Nigeria, Mallam Abdulazeez Sirajudeen Folayemi, in his speech at the occasion on the journey so far as MSSN @ 60. He started by saying, today we are celebrating the founding fathers of MSS. We are celebrating our success in da’wah. We are equally seeking Allah’s forgiveness on our shortcomings in the course of our da’wah sojourn in the last 60 years. We are gathering to thank
Allah for the society Allah has used to salvage us. We have come together to showcase our Islam. We are happy because Allah saved our Islam and our identity through this movement. To the founding fathers and mothers, we wish you could have been with us alive today to see the fruits of your good and sincere efforts to save the future of the Muslim children. Your numbers were insignificant but your sincerity was a mighty one, even though we were not born when you conceived this idea which today has influenced millions. You could have lived to see the Muslim students going to school with all sense of dignity and pride.
Even the use of niqab or face veil, is not a barrier to pursuing any of the professions in most of the universities today. Our solace is in the fact that, on all the millions that have been influenced by your celestial initiative, you will continue to get reward from their good deeds till eternity.
To the present generation of the MSSN, old and young, undergraduates and post-graduates, artisans and professionals, we are celebrating your Islamic sagacity. We salute your courage and doggedness for keeping the flag flying.
We applaud your sacrifice and selflessness in sustaining our common heritage. To my sisters who are dismally brutalized and victimized for hijab and most importantly the 234 Muslim students recently abducted in Borno by the enemies of the Muslim child, you are indeed heroes of Islam and the hope of the Ummah of Muhammad. The society celebrates you today as diamonds among your mates. At 60, let us come out and celebrate this society that has done us nothing but good. Let us spread the good news that MSSN is worth celebrating. MSSN is the hope of the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria. In the last 60 years of its existence, its greatest achievement is in anyone who, after passing through the walls of formal educational settings, still takes pride in Islam. Aside from this, MSSN has produced Muslim elites, professionals, politicians, academics and business giants who today are vanguards of Islam. It has also produced great Islamic scholars and da’wah workers whose indelible mark in da’wah efforts in this country cannot be erased, even by time.
OUR STAND ON THE ABDUCTED SISTERS
The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria wishes to once again use this medium to reiterate our strong condemnation and total rejection of the abduction of 234 Muslim students studying at Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno state. The millions of Muslim students in Nigeria and the diaspora reject this terrorist act that is aimed at increasing and complicating the suffering of the already traumatised parents and we call on everyone to embark on fasting and prayer in order to seek Allah’s intervention in this precarious condition. We equally call on the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, deploy all government machinery towards ensuring that our sisters are rescued. Our view is that the nation is undergoing a critical trying period, the nation should wear a mourning outlook and all flags should be flown at half-mast until our sisters are rescued.
We are calling on the federal government to review the state of emergency imposed on Borno and other states in the North-East as it has proven impotent and it is evident that things are not getting better and the state of emergency is not solving the security challenges. The government and the politicians in the country should do everything possible in order to secure the release of our sisters who are only victims of the leadership complicity and negligence before more harm is done to the innocent girls.
BOMBING IN NYANYA, ABUJA AGAIN
The society wishes to express shock over Thursday bombing in Nyanya. With bombing in Nyanya again, the terrorists have affirmed a declaration of war against the nation, the masses are their target. Thursday bombing, barely two weeks after a bomb explosion around the same area, has shown that the nation security forces are not on top of the situation. We say if the life of the Nigerian masses is worth anything to those in authority, a state of emergency should be declared on the nation’s security outfit as it is evident that the insurgency has continued to beat their arsenals while the innocent masses continue to be the victims.
We say there should be a total overhaul of the nation’s security system. The nation is no safer to live in, the military check points have been turned to toll gates for extorting money from the helpless drivers. The nation’s security chiefs should ask themselves what the various check points are doing while bombs are been moved around and our 234 students abducted and moved to Sambisa unstopped. The authority should stop politicizing the nation’s security situation but come up with a proactive measure to make Nigeria a safe place to live.
The guest speaker also dealt with the theme and called on all the Muslims to rally round the MSSN on how to continuously achieve the set objective. The occasion attracted all zonal representatives of the MSSN in Nigeria and other guest including sister’s organization. The occasion was one of the best of it kind and it was well organized and well attended.
