The Nasrul-Lah-Il-Faith-Society (NASFAT) has on Wednesday dealt a serious blow to the motion of child marriage after they commenced a campaign against underage marriage.
On Tuesday the group kick started a campaign to put an end to violence and abuse against children as they stated that the concept was against the Islamic belief. Alhaji Abdul-Rauf Adedeji who is the Second Vice-President of the group said that no parent had absolute control over a child, especially girl children should be allowed to make headway for their future.
The campaign, scheduled for three local government areas of Cross River State, is being carried out by NASFAT in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development and United Nations Children’s Fund.
Adedeji said, “It does not mean that because you gave birth to the girl child that you have absolute control over her life. In Islam, you have a level you must train your child up to before you give her out in marriage. We believe that the issue of underage marriage is largely due to poverty.
“At this point, we must separate people’s culture from Islam. We are going to engage our leaders to drive home this campaign to end violence against children by 2030. One of our vehicles for propagating Islam is education. Cherish your children because Islam does not encourage violence against them.”
The Cross River State coordinator of the campaign, Alhaji Abdulsalam Abdullateef, said failure to send a child to school as well as encouraging underage marriage was an aspect of violence against children.
“Islam does not permit underage marriage. It is not everything that is done in a Muslim-dominated society that is Islam. Islam supports western education and not sending children to school is violence against children. That is why you see a lot of almajiris (beggars) on the roads.
“We need to change this perception by sending our children to school. Islam is recognised as an educated religion. So, we must continue to keep it that way.”
Source: PUNCH
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