| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa North |
| Mauritanian ulema confront extremism |
| 2013-03-08 |
| [MAGHAREBIA] More than fifty Mauritanian scholars, imams, holy mans and government officials recently wrapped up a three day conference where they collaborated on ways to combat extremism. The Mauritanian Ministry of Islamic Affairs with the Mauritanian Association of Ulemas concluded the training forum on February 20th in Nouadhibou, 450km north of Nouakchott. The three-day forum focused on topics related to Islamic identity and the concept of the state from an Islamic perspective. In addition, it addressed the socio-economic dimension of state-building and the seriousness of extremism as it affects the entity of the nation. Participants left the event with a number of recommendations, including the need to establish a zakat fund and increased promotion of justice in order combat extremism and fanaticism, AMI reported. Other ideas included increased care for mosques and religious schools, and encouraging the involvement of women at such forums. The event "called for a prominent role in guiding our youth and linking them with behaviour and ethics of the Islamic religion known for tolerance, openness and moderation, and rejection of all forms of violence and extremism", Islamic Affairs Ministry official Mohamed Hadi Ould Taleb said at the closing of the event. The forum "made it possible to diagnose the basic ills of society from the point of view of the clergy", Association of Mauritanian Ulema Inspector General Bouna Omar Ly. He also stressed on the other hand the issue of national unity and added that diagnosing these diseases and finding solutions for them would support the state in its development programs. There was also discussion on the role women could play in confronting extremism, women's rights activist Salema Mint Cheikh said. Although the recommendations did not provide a specific role that women could play, Cheik said that in general, women were better able to confront extremism. "Women are the first school. If they were involved effectively, extremism would not have found its way to us," she said. She added that most hard boyz were influenced by radical ideas because they were uneducated, and the vast majority who weren't influenced came from families that were literate. |
| Posted by:Fred |