Rape: Islamic group indicts Nigerian parents

Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) says Nigerian parents should be partly blamed for rape cases.

MYRUC said this in a Sallah message on Friday.

The Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said the group’s focus on this year’s occasion is rape.

He noted that one of the major reasons for the preponderance of the incidence of rape is the failure of parents to guide their children.

“In particular, many parents fail to teach their male children how to respect the other sex. They, therefore, grow up treating women and girls like underdogs. Most young boys commit rape without knowing the implications. They need to be properly tutored to respect women and girls and to know the legal implication of rape.

“Nigerians should borrow a leaf from the lessons of Id al-Kabir and from Islam in general. If all Nigerian parents tutor their children the way Prophet Luqman (peace be upon him) did in Qur’an 31:13 – 19, our youth will be better guided. Luqman told his son to ‘enjoin righteousness and forbid evil’. Rape is evil. It is an act of wickedness. It is barbaric.

“In the same vein, Prophet Ismail (peace be upon him) obeyed his father even when his father informed him that Allah had commanded him to sacrifice his son. He still told his father, ‘Do what you are told and you will see that I am one of those who are patient’ (Glorious Qur’an 37:102 – 103).”

Akintola lamented that many children of the present day are disobedient.

MURIC added that rape will be drastically reduced if parents tutor their children properly and if the latter follow the instructions.