One of the leading faith-based organisations in Nigeria, Al-Mu’minaat has advised parents to take the upbringing of their male children seriously, saying that it is the male children who are not properly trained that are on rampage, violating women in the society.
This call was made in a press statement issued by its National Amirah, Hajia Nimatullah Abdulquadir in Lagos, Nigeria on the 12th of June, 2020 following the surge in rape cases across the country.
The organisation said it was seriously worried about the increasing incidence of violent rape cases, calling it a rape of the nation itself.
It also warns against the haste in the re-opening of schools, especially the pre-tertiary ones.
According to the statement, “The raping and killing of girls and women is becoming a daily headline in our national news. Even religious houses are not spared. All parents with female children fear for the safety of their daughters. We are all guilty of this insanity going on. We all need to take a retrospect into how we might have contributed consciously or unconsciously to the evil Tsunami that is currently sweeping through our nation.
“The shaming and blaming of rape victims or survivors is dangerous. We warn those who overtly or covertly seek to accuse victims of being responsible for their ordeal to desist immediately. No woman deserves to be raped, and while Islam encourages decent dressing, accusing victims of being responsible for rape because of their dressing or being in particular places at the time of the crime is a great injustice.
Hajiah Nimatullah enjoined the legislature at all levels to review the laws on rape to accommodate stiffer punishment in order to serve as a detterence, while noting that law enforcement agencies must be diligent in their jobs in order to ensure justice.
“The legislatures at all levels must sit to review the laws on rape and provide stiffer punishment that can serve as deterrent to others. The law enforcement agents and lawyers must make sure that the law takes its cause on offending criminals. The Nigerian police must put their expertise into use to track down offenders. Looking for volunteered information is not enough; forensic audit and other modern means should be used to track perpetrators.
“Organisations, both civil and religious, should educate their members. Al-Mu’minaat also calls on The National Orientation Agency to rise up to educating the populace about this ugly trend and the need to protect the girl child.
While consoling all Nigerians who have lost their relatives to the novel Coronavirus pandemic, Al-Mu’minaat warns that the worst is not over, pleading with Nigerians not to pressurise the government into opening up all educational institutions, especially pre-tertiary institutions as not all schools in the nation have the capacity to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus .
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