Clerics push for religious education to curb crime

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Said Abdalla alias Saido at the Sheikh Zayed Hall in Nyali on Saturday / BRIAN OTIENO

Islamic religious leaders in Mombasa are pushing for more religious education for children to address rampant drug abuse, juvenile crime, and early pregnancies.

Clerics say knowledge of religion is the beginning of all discipline and that those brought up without religious education end up causing chaos.

Led by Idd Mohamed Swaleh, the Masjid Abdulrahman mosque imam in Kadzandani, the leaders said religious education offers the best foundation for the upbringing of responsible men and women in society.

Speaking during a Musabaqah at the Sheikh Zayed Hall in Nyali, the clerics called for more support for religious events so as to instill discipline in young children.

“This is more important, especially during this month of Ramadhan when we are fasting so as to become closer to Allah,” Swaleh said.

"Musabaqah" refers to a structured competition, most commonly associated with Quran recitation, memorisation, and interpretation. It is aimed at fostering love for the Holy Book.

It brings together youth and experts to showcase proficiency, discipline, and Islamic values.

Some 81 children from 30 madrassas across Nyali subcounty participated in the Musabaqah.

Swaleh called on parents to bring up their children religiously, saying most of the time those who are firm in religion are usually disciplined and peacemakers.

“They are usually calm and disciplined. They avoid vices like drugs, crime, bullying, and other vices that end up disrupting the peace in society,” Swaleh said.

Said Abdalla alias Saido, who sponsored the Musabaqah, said Musabaqah is one way of bringing together the Islamic community so as to foster religious unity within the community.

He said there are a lot of challenges that the people of Nyali face, including drug abuse, juvenile crime, teenage pregnancies, and poverty, among others.

“As leaders, together with sheikhs and ulama, we want to ensure our youth are brought up in religion so that they could have discipline and help secure our communities,” he said.

Saido said Nyali’s insecurity incidents, which are mostly caused by delinquent youth, is due to lack of religious upbringing.

He said Islam also pushed for the seeking of knowledge, which helps in shaping the persona.

“We organized this Musabaqah in the holy month of Ramadhan because this is the month that the Quran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on the night of power (laylat al-qadr), serving as a guide to humanity,” Saido said.

Muslims honour this by recitation, study, and reflection on the Quran, aiming to complete the entire book.

Saido said he will sponsor the winners in the Musabaqah in their education.

INSTANT ANALYSIS:

Nyali subcounty was once at per with Kisauni as areas where insecurity is high. But this has since changed as interventions by different stakeholders contribute in getting youth out of the bases and into meaningful activities that help the community.