The Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed has advocated the institutionalization of a council of Ulamas for the moderation of preaching by Islamic clerics in order to ensure that such sermons are in accordance with Islamic tenets.
Governor Ahmed made the call at the weekend during the public presentation of a book, Language Skills for Arabic Students, adding that the council should be composed of reputable and knowledgeable Islamic Scholar.
“Such a move will also provide an opportunity to instill in our youths, the values of peaceful co-existence, love, integrity and equity which, Insha Allah, will insulate them from fundamentalist preaching through the internet and other sources”, he said.
The Governor who stressed that Muslims must not allow the action of a few to define Muslims and shape perception of Islam, averred that leaders in all spheres of life should always preach eternal values of peaceful coexistence as enshrined in the Holy Quran in order to counter the stigmatization of Islam.
Governor Ahmed, through copious references to various chapters of the Holy Quran stressed that muslims must shun acts of violence by safeguarding the lives of the innocent at all times.
On the book, the governor expressed the hope that it will deepen the teaching and understanding of Arabic, a language which he said had made valuable contributions to the development of human kind.
