The Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), Alhaja Rafiah Idowu Sanni has traced the under-reporting of Muslims in the media to their negligence in celebrating their own successes.
Alhaja Sanni, while speaking at the #MNAwards2020 in Lagos over the weekend, however, said that it’s her delight to see that Muslim News is celebrating Muslim achievers in the academia and in different professions through its publication.
The newly appointed Amirah of FOMWAN, an umbrella body for the Nigerian Muslim Women Organisations therefore emphasised the need for Muslim personalities and organisations to support Muslim News, so that copies of its print edition can be circulated across Nigeria.
According to her, “I do tell people, it’s because we don’t celebrate the blessings of Allah among ourselves, that is why people erroneously believe the Muslims are not making it. But today, Muslim News has done it for us, by celebrating our achievements. AlhamduliLlah, that our prayers over the years have come to fruition today through this publication.
“When you read the newspaper, you see it celebrating one Muslim student’s emergence as the best graduating student in his or her school. Another one, most especially, in Hijab, coming first in her school and so on. If these continue, people will stop telling us that Muslims are failures. So, we appreciate Muslim News. You are doing a very good job. May Allah reward you abundantly,” she noted.
Speaking further, Alhaja Sanni said, “Our father, Alhaji Abbas (one of the keynote speakers at the event) has told us that when he was called upon to set up something like this some years ago, his response was that the Muslims will not read. They will not appreciate it, but if they don’t have to pay for it, they will read. We love free things. We don’t want to pay anything to achieve anything and this is what will take me back to when we were in school.
“You know, the issue of hijab had been in the Holy Qur’an for more than a thousand years. Did you know that when the Mahajubah Magazine came out, that was when we were in the higher Institutions in the early 80’s. Just because of the beautiful pictures of sisters in hijab were shown on the pages of Mahajubah Magazine, we didn’t have to buy, some Muslim ladies will buy and distribute to the students in the school. That’s when we had the idea of using hijab that has come to stay till today”, she revealed.
She therefore called on the Muslims to patronise the newspaper by buying several copies for free distribution to offices and homes.
According to her, “On this note I would want everyone of us to contribute to Muslim News, to buy as many as possible and distribute to people in our offices, schools, even at home to our children, so that they will know and will appreciate the blessings of Islam
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She further appreciated Muslim News for its regular and in-depth coverage of FOMWAN activities, especially during the recently held 36th National Conference. She said, “I had never set my eyes on brother Abdurrasheed until this morning, but what he did during the last election has never happened in the 36-year history of FOMWAN.
“I shed tears when I saw people calling me from different places and just because of that contribution of his to the result of the FOMWAN National Election, I have gotten appointments in many places to participate in their conferences and activities.
“If I’ve never seen you in my life, I’ve never known you and you were able to do this for us — all Muslim women in Nigeria and Abroad, I say Jazakallahu khairan.
“FOMWAN is not only in Nigeria, that of Nigeria is FOMWAN, that of UK is FOMWA UK, that of US is FOMWA US, that of Liberia is FOMWAL, that of Sierra Leone is FOMWASL, that of Ghana is FOMWAG. So, if you work within the confines of your room or office and it was all blown across the whole world, it means your reward has no limit. May Allah reward you abundantly for making us proud.
“As I do tell our people in FOMWAN, when we were very young, by the time we were bearing children, I was about 4 months pregnant with my second child when we went to Kano in 1985, where the idea of FOMWAN came up. When our mothers like Mama Adekola, Alhaja Fatimah Dele, Alhaja Tafa Salam, Alhaja Oyero, Alhaja Adams, Alhaja Alokolodo, Alhaja Akinola and a host of our mothers in Oyo State came to FOMWAN meetings, they will donate any amount they had, be it 1 Naira or 50 Naira for sadaqa. They will tell everyone to thank Allah on their behalf for their sons or daughters emerging best graduating students in their schools.
“As my own mother always told me, anywhere you see them doing good things, go there and beg Allah. I will just move to one corner of FOMWAN room and say, the child of Alhaja Ayero is a Medical Doctor, I want my child to be a Medical Doctor too, the children of other persons are pharmacists, lawyers, and so on, I want my children to be successful. Do you know that today, all the prayers said in those days have become fruitful. Alhamdulillah”, she noted.
