Boko Haram Extremism Unacceptable
The kidnapping of more
than 270 schoolgirls in Nigeria and opening fire on a busy marketplace, killing
hundreds, by the Boko Haram extremist network have triggered worldwide concern,
shock and outrage. As many as 300 people were killed in the assault on the town
of Gamboru Ngala on Nigeria’s border with Cameroon. Killing innocent persons
and kidnapping young girls are un-Islamic and inhuman. But this extremist group
admittedly captured the girls, saying they should never have been in school and
should instead get married. The group has also threatened to sell the girls as
slaves! This is highly unacceptable and strongly condemnable.
The Hausa word ‘boko’
figuratively means Western or non-Islamic education, and ‘haram’ means
prohibited. Thus the group called Boko Haram, which has been active in Nigeria
since 2009, is opposing Western or non-Islamic education for girls. No
scripture, no sensible book or no sane person prohibits education for girls or
learning any branch of knowledge. The Qur’ān does not limit education to males
only, for education is the right of every human being. The fact remains that
the very first word revealed in the Qur’ān is iqra meaning
‘read’. When Islam commands us to read from the cradle to the grave, the tone
is general without restricting or excluding any gender, sect or group. And this
commandment to read is not restricted to Islamic knowledge only but rather it
covers acquiring all branches of knowledge and learning which can contribute to
the progress and advancement of human society. It is this very wide Islamic
concept of education that produced great Muslim scientists, mathematicians,
geographers, astronomers, astrophysicists, biologists, neuroscientists,
psychologists, chemists, alchemists, economists, social scientists, earth
scientists, political scientists, physicians, surgeons, physicists and
engineers, who contributed significantly to science and civilization in the
early period of Islam, and whom the post-modern age envies.
This deplorable act of
kidnapping young girls has made local Muslim women feel the sting of another
stereotype of women being forced into oppression and labelled as second-class
citizens. They have launched a social media campaign under the hashtag
#BringBackOurGirls to effect renewed world attention to Boko Haram’s campaign
of violence. Muslim women are taking a stern stand against Boko Haram and are
joining the movement #BringBackOurGirls.
There is no sense in
rejecting the group as one created by the West. Muslim organisations must
condemn this abominable act of the group which is doing great disservice to
Islam. It is high time the group realised the futility and gravity of its
extremism and release the girls with honour and dignity and thus save Nigeria
from foreign intervention.
(Courtesy: Radiance, New Delhi)
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