A prominent Islamic organisation in Zamfara has strongly condemned the events that characterised the celebration of Governor Dauda Lawal\u2019s second year in office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement released to journalists in Gusau on Friday, the Zamfara Ulama Defence Forum (ZUDF) expressed deep concern over what it termed \u201can orchestrated reintroduction of vices\u201d into a state widely known for its commitment to Islamic law and traditional values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the group, the anniversary event held in the state capital, featured musical performances accompanied by skimpily dressed female dancers, and the open consumption of alcoholic beverages \u2014 acts considered unacceptable under Islamic law and cultural norms in Zamfara.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The president of the group, Sheikh Bashir Mu\u2019azu Marafa, said the scenes that unfolded at the celebration were \u201cunthinkable\u201d in a state that pioneered the implementation of Sharia law in Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is both unfortunate and shameful that on the second-term anniversary of a sitting governor in a core Islamic state like Zamfara, alcohol was served, and women of questionable character were paraded on public stages in revealing clothes,\u201d the statement reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a clear departure from the values we hold dear as a people. Zamfara has long stood as a model for Islamic governance in Nigeria. What happened during that event is nothing short of a betrayal of the trust of the people who expected better from their leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sheikh Marafa, a respected Islamic scholar in the state, noted that the presence of entertainers on stage with female dancers dressed in body-fitted attire and short skirts would have been enough to spark outrage in any conservative society, let alone in a state like Zamfara where modesty is a fundamental value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cZamfara is not Las Vegas. It is a land of honour, a land of religious discipline. For these kinds of immoral scenes to be playing out in broad daylight under the watch of our leaders is a disgrace,\u201d the Islamic cleric said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group warned that the incident could signal a dangerous shift that undermines the efforts of Islamic clerics, scholars, and moral reformers who have worked tirelessly to preserve the values of modesty, morality, and spiritual uprightness in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat message are we sending to our children and the next generation when those at the top are encouraging moral decay in the name of celebration. If this is what the next four years hold, then Zamfara is on a fast path to losing its identity,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ZUDF also called on Islamic clerics across the state to speak out against what it described as \u201cthe creeping secularisation of Zamfara under Governor Lawal\u2019s administration,\u201d adding that silence from religious leaders at this time would amount to complicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe cannot remain silent and watch Zamfara turn into a hub of entertainment and sin. This is a time for the righteous to raise their voices. We are calling on the governor to offer a public apology for this embarrassment and make a clear commitment to restoring the moral sanctity of public events in the state,\u201d the group added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The forum urged the state house of assembly, traditional institutions, and community-based organisations to demand accountability from the governor and his team over the coordination and content of the celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLeadership must be guided by wisdom and humility. The optics of that event were poor and have sparked dismay across the Muslim community not just in Zamfara, but across the north,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group expressed appreciation to members of the public who raised concerns on social media, especially young people in the state who, it said, were \u201cmore conscious of what is right and wrong than the officials entrusted with setting the moral tone\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Zamfara Ulama Defence Forum remains committed to protecting the moral integrity of our communities. We will continue to hold those in authority to account, and we will not stop speaking out against actions that threaten our values and identity as a people.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A prominent Islamic organisation in Zamfara has strongly condemned the events that characterised the celebration of Governor Dauda Lawal\u2019s second year in office. In a statement released to journalists in Gusau on Friday, the Zamfara Ulama Defence Forum (ZUDF) expressed deep concern over what it termed \u201can orchestrated reintroduction of vices\u201d into a state widely…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t