大象传媒

Good morning.

It is almost four months since more than 200 girls were kidnapped by Boko Haram on 14 April. They are all still missing.

Boko Haram and their supporters say that they would like to establish a 鈥榩ure鈥� Muslim rule by putting an end to secular education.聽 Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, once said:
鈥淭he pursuit of knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim, whether male or female.鈥�
For centuries Muslim theologians have explained that Islamic scriptures make no distinction between sacred and secular knowledge, and that all forms of knowledge are a manifestation of God.

According to Muslim traditions, Muhammad would often employ non-Muslim teachers to teach Muslim children to read and write.聽 His own daughter Fatimah, and his wife Aisha, were highly educated women who educated both men and women.聽 Their students went on to become Islam鈥檚 most eminent theologians and scholars.

Boko Haram represents a global trend in denying children, girls in particular, their fundamental human right to education.聽 According to figures published by UNESCO in 2012, about 61 million children across the world are not receiving an education and 200 million more remain illiterate despite attending school.

So our prayer today is:
Lord, increase us in knowledge of our past and grant us the wisdom and courage to act accordingly. Amen
鈥�