Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Osun State Governor, Mr Isiaq Gboyega Oyetola, Sultan of Sokoto and President-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, were among eminent personalities that graced the launch of the book, titled, ‘Islam in Yorubaland’, a project of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN).
Also in attendance at the epoch making event held on Wednesday at Radisson Hotel, Ikeja GRA, were Oluwo of Ìwọ, Oba AbdulRasheed Akanbi; Oniru of Iruland, Oba Wasiu Gbolahan Lawal; Ogun State Deputy Governor, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele and Founder of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) as well as Founder and Chairman of the FATE Foundation, Alhaji Tajudeen Fola Adeola, who chaired the event.
Titled ‘Islam in Yorubaland: History, Education and Culture’, the book was presented by former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Jubrila Ayinla.
Provost, Federal College of Education Iwo, Prof. Rafiu Adebayo reviewed the book.
Welcoming the guests, MUSWEN President-General, Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, described the book presentation as historic for Muslims in Southwest.
According to him, it was a realization of a dream to set the historical records of Islam in Yorubaland straight.
“What makes the difference in today’s presentation is the calling of the spade by its real name. For centuries, Muslims in Nigeria’s Southwest have had to accept their spiritual plight as a fate accompli when the concept and conditions for practising their religion had to be dictated to them by their counterparts in other religions,” he said.
Osinbajo praised MUSWEN for documenting history of Islam in Yorubaland, saying it will redefine and reposition Islam in Southwest.
Represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, the Vice President urged religious leaders to continue to spread the message of peace and religious tolerance.
Oyetola congratulated MUSWEN for setting the records straight by publishing a book on Islam in Southwest.
He said: “This well-researched work of history, no doubt, has benefited from the rich career of the authors whom I was told are affiliated to Yorubaland by birth and to Islam by choice. It, therefore, follows that the book before us can be classified as the most authoritative in our recent history as far as the history of Islam in Yorubaland is concerned.
“I congratulate the authors in particular and MUSWEN in general on this knowledge of history of Islam in Nigeria, with particular reference to the Southwest, a region erroneously believed not to have very significant Muslim population in the country.”
Sultan Abubakar III noted that aside from history, religious leaders and scholars across Nigeria must rise up in feeding their followers with truth and the true meaning of faiths they profess.
Oba Ogunwusi called for harmonious relationship among all tribes in Nigeria, irrespective of their religious background
Alhaji Adeola said one of the factors of a book was to educate and correct information as well as engaging minds.
He noted that conscious efforts have been made by the book to reflect how Muslims look.
He said Muslims should stop hiding their potentials and push forward everything to show their identity as Muslims.
He said Muslims in Nigeria can better understand themselves when the negative impression is cleared.
National Missioner of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Imam Abdur-Rahman Ahmad, who delivered a lecture, said Islam came to Yorubaland very strong, bold and well accepted.
He stated that the aim of Islam is not to antagonise the society but to maintain a stable relationship with the people.
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