Hajj under Siege? A Tale of 5 Alhajis

The Muslim Ummah – Community – is one that has relatively petite media coverage all year round, except during the two Eids (Fitr and Adha), on which days the media spotlight is on Muslims across the country as we celebrate at least for that day and at most the day after.

The only period during which Muslims boast a sustained media attention is in the lead up to, during and after the Hajj and for which period we have until recently blown the chance to put ourselves out in good light with the many problems that have typified successive Hajj organizing bodies.

The media, in our opinion could as well be agents of social change or of social chaos depending on what motives underlie its use in a particular way and manner, the reason for which for whatever parochial reasons, we are of the opinion that relative to Hajj, Muslims set aside whatever colouration (especially the political) and accept that with matters of our religion; and Hajj for that matter, the things that bind us far supersedes that which should divide us, by the current state of affairs.

We should ordinarily not embark on a suggestive venture of thinking that fellow Muslims are working against the Islamic establishment in this country for their own self seeking ends. What we seek hereby to do is to put issues into perspective and set some basic records straight.

The first of five Alhajis using the media somewhat against Muslims is Alhaji AR Gomda of the Daily Guide Newspaper, and for whom we reserve and rightfully so a great deal of respect for relative to his contribution in putting across Muslim related issues at least in the Daily Guide.

We admired his contribution last year to Hajj issues as they were balanced throughout the period and have singled him out for commendation in an article we posted on several web portals; “Hajj 2010; Efficiency and Deficiency Analysis,” Alhaji Gomda has so far started this year on a low.

He authored a story “Muslim Youth Threaten Demo, - Against Chief Imam’s Boy” in the February 28, 2011 edition of the Daily Guide, suggesting that Sheikh Yahyal Ameen, senior student and right hand man of the chief Imam, Sheikh Dr. Osman Sharubutu, was in some trouble of sorts.

Our contention however being that, for a senior journalist within Islamic circles and one with close links with the high office of the chief Imam, we shudder to think that he put out the issues of the Muslim Forum for Transparency and Accountability (MUFTA) without a word from the ‘accused’ Sheikh, a slap in the face of a basic tenet of journalism, the principle of balance in a story.

Alhaji Swallah Ahmed (aka Bomber) and his cohorts in three other Alhajis, have consistently and persistently misused a fine platform as radio (on an Accra based radio channel; Choice 102.3) taken upon themselves the very sad posturing of finding all things wrong with whatever the National Hajj Committee (NHC) has done over the last two years, for only Allah knows what.

On “War Against Ignorance,” the programme in question, we would in no way risk imputing any evil motives on the part of the Bomber, Alhaji Tanko of Tanko Forex Bureau, Alhaji Akinyele of the Coalition of Muslim Organizations (COMOG) and Alhaji Umar Farouk (aka Africa).

Alhaji Akinyele’s postulation with respect to ‘Muslims’ not standing and staring relative to the Hajj, but doing all it takes to avoid the name of Muslims being dragged in the mud has always been welcome, what kept us wondering was whether MuFTA’s decision to demonstrate was the way to go.

His effusions about Hajj being dear to the heart of Muslims, and being a project from which profits could be used to develop the Muslim community, and his further citing of Hajj Policy as operated in Malaysia is stuff we know already and hardly needed him to reiterate it for Allah knows what.

As for alluding to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party being the stumbling block to a smooth Hajj, we state without equivocation that the comment was nothing short of an uninformed, nauseating and one of many baseless talk spewed.

We have always had cause to laugh at people who bandy around figures of how much someone spent on this Hajj, the losses recorded, the loan contracted and how much of the loan has been settled but prefer to stray into areas of alleging financial malfeasance on the part of fellow Muslims; an act the Quran cautions Muslims against.

Then again, the demand of a breakdown of the $ 3100 amount charged by the NHC, why Government had lent money to the committee, and the fanning tensions that foot soldiers were in charge of the Hajj from the level of the castle right down to the party headquarters we contend was simply lame.

As for his outburst about the current National Hajj Committee having left behind debts in addition to stranded pilgrims, the least said the better especially for a person who was sitting on as powerful and far reaching a mass medium as radio.

The particular interest taken by leading members of MuFTA relative to the supposed dissolution of advisory Board of the national chief imam, Sheikh Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, makes for interesting observation; question though is; what are their vested interests if any?

MuFTA as a body seem to spit at one minute and return to lick it the next minute, their demands for reports of the last two Hajj operations are absolutely justified as was opined by Alhaji Umar Farouk alias Africa and Confidence Muslim Youth Association (CMYA) is very much for that position but does these demands have to be made amidst insults, heavy sarcasm and casting of aspersions and insinuations? Absolutely not we contend.

Akinyele draws a certain measure of ‘primary school logic’ in a desperate bid to question the foundation of the NHC, when he tried to force down our throat a point that “anything planted on the back of politics is not good for Muslims,” seemingly oblivious of the fact that our current social system is and has always been on politics.

As for the line on argument as advanced by Alhaji Tanko, who seeks to set the leadership of Muslims against one another at least in the minds of we the followers, we are sorry to inform him that; the leaders he cited, i.e. the chief Imam and the Imam of the Ahlus Sunna Wal Jammaa, are way above those schemes as are some Muslims as we read and listen wide to juxtapose what we hear.

Our advice to Alhaji Tanko is that he desists from using the media (Choice FM and at Vibe FM where is a host of a dawn program) as for his claim to have some incriminating documents on Hajj operations, what is he waiting for? Its release would be very welcome months after his claim.

We find it disgusting and in bad taste that without the chance to rebuttal; the four gentlemen have consistently used very harsh language, unleashed vitriolic and spited invectives on personalities, some with high social and religious status as close confidant to the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Yahyal Ameen.

Alhaji Tanko has enough reason to suggest that people around the Chief Imam, mentioning specifically Sheikh Yahyal Ammen, Kailaani, Baaba Lameen and Alhaji Aweisu were keeping the Imam in the dark about things he should have known, a very unfortunate and unwarranted talk.

That the voice of the Chief Imam in a tape which the Imam was pledging support for the current Hajj Committee was doctored was groundless as was his crude assertion that Sheikh Yahyal Ameen was positioning himself, to succeed the National Chief Imam.

The ethnic twist he sought to tie in, all but left us disgusted and frightened; that the Yoruba that he was (Yahyal Ameen) was drafting a lot of Yorubas into the Hajj fold and close to the Chief Imam, sadly fellow Yoruba Akinyele could only laugh at the assertion.

A text message that read thus; “Yahyal Ameen is tribalistic, sectionalistic, opportunistic and a disgrace to the Muslim Ummah,” is more a disgrace to them than to any one else to allow a Muslim leader to be insulted whiles they look on, forgetting the admonition of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (May Allah Exalt his mention) who once cautioned that; “To insult a fellow Muslim amounted to a sin.”

Indeed, the point raised about members of the Hajj Committee having referred to MuFTA members as disgruntled members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is totally out of place and must not be countenanced in any way, we reiterate our calls that Hajj reports be presented and ‘declassified.’

MuFTA must however know that they are always backed by law to demonstrate as they threatened sometime back, our advice is that they seek permission from the Police for a march I doubt would lead to anything significant.

Lest for anyone who does not want to see, the current Alhassan Bene led NHC has dispatched themselves well on the two occasions they have been in charge of the Hajj and I dare say they are on course for a third straight, the little we can and should do is to support their efforts any way we can.

We of Confidence Muslim Youth Association (CMYA), a youth group with the advancement of Islam at heart, have over the last few years followed the organization of Hajj with keen and sustained interest herby put across the following issues, in the interest of the Muslim Ummah (Community).

Our message is this; let ALL Muslims understand that our allegiances as adherents of the Islamic faith first lie with Al-Islam and that anything else is secondary, be it national, regional, ethnic, tribe and party political considerations.

The things that unite (should unite us) far outweigh that which threatens to split us right down the middle. Islam first all else after, May Allah grant us the wisdom, health and wealth to serve HIM, to serve our nation and mankind. God bless us ALL.

Author: Confidence Muslim Youth Association (CMYA)

E-mail: confimya@yahoo.com/confimya@gmail.com