Re: Skin Bleaching Canker

As the world marks the international Youth day, as a concerned Zongo boy and a Muslim for that matter, I would like to critically look at the role of the Muslim youth in national development. The role of the Youth can never be discounted when profiling the success of any nation.

The quality of freshness, vitality or vigor and the condition of being young which form the cardinal descriptive characteristics of youths is definitely an asset or liability depending on how the young people are mentored socially and religiously. Undoubtedly, if the youths of a nation are rightly guided the nation has surely taken the path of achieving great things and leaving behind magnificent footprints for later generations.

No single Muslim who can cling a deal with the basic knowledge of Islamic history will deny the fact that; Islam thrived at the hands of the youths. They were so programmed by Allah that their major drive in life was to establish a society whose foundation will be based on God's consciousness, equity, justice, sanity, honesty, sincerity, modesty and moderation. The youth has played a remarkable contribution in Islam.

When we think of the Prophet's life and his Companions, mature and elderly people seem to come to mind. However, when we look at the first Muslims close to the Prophet, who began his Prophethood at the age of forty, we see that most of them were young. While the Prophet Muhammad S.W.A was making the call to Islam, he received a large part of his support from youth who comprised the social segment that was open to new things, idealist and energetic. In fact, while several of the first Muslims were around 50 years-old and several were above 35, the age of the remaining majority was under thirty.

Islamic History tells us how young men vigorously fought in all the battles that Islam won, and this contribution really catapulted Islam to a enviable status 1400 years ago, the spread of Islam from the Arab land to the shores of Europe and Africa was made possible by some of this strong men. Our beloved Prophet Mohammed S.W.A was also youth activists. he spearheaded a group known as 'hilful fudhool', were the youth of Mecca were the majority members of this group, their sole aim that form their basic descriptive characteristics is to protect the weak and speak for the cheated in every part of the Mecca Land.

Now the onus is on us the youth of today to emulate this impeccable character laid down by our own prophet Mohammed S.A.W, the time of war and battle are over, Buy yet we still have a war to wage against immoral attitude that negate the teachings and principles of Islam .If truly we will stick to the teaching enshrine in the holy Quran and adhere to it, I can tell without any equivocation that our youth today will be good leaders of tomorrow.

On the contrary, Muslim youth today are the primary agent of all form of indiscipline and any form of clandestine business. Statistic available suggest that out of every ten criminals that are apprehended in Ghana, four or more of them are either from the Zongo community . This fact I found very disturbing and an affront to the reputation of zongo people where Muslims dominates. The role of a Muslim Youth in Ghana can be group into the following:

RESPECT TO JUSTICE
This is a very important and valuable right which Islam has given to man as a human being. The Holy Quran has laid down: "Do not let your hatred of a people incite you to aggression" (5:2). "And do not let ill-will towards any folk incite you so that you swerve from dealing justly. Be just; that is nearest to heedfulness" (5:8). Stressing this point the Quran again says: "You who believe stand steadfast before God as witness for (truth and) fairplay" (4:135). This makes the point clear that Muslims have to be just not only with ordinary human beings but even with their enemies. In other words, the justice to which Islam invites her followers is not limited only to the citizens of their own country, or the people of their own tribe, nation or race, or the Muslim community as a whole, but it is meant for all the human beings of the world. Muslims therefore, cannot be unjust to anyone. Their permanent habit and character should be such that no man should ever fear injustice at their hands, and they should treat every human being everywhere with justice and fairness.

STAND FOR THE TRUTH
We have to be very vocal and vociferous and define what principles we uphold so that we can always speak and stand for the truth where ever we are and people will dare not approach us with any corrupt mindset which in essence will provide a buffer zone between us and corrupt people

As Muslim youths, we need to affirm in our hearts that Allah has written our sustenance even before He created us.

If we can achieve that in our hearts, then our blind love for material acquisition will natural die which we all know is the cause of our present appalling situation. Our Zongo communities today has witness many calamities as a result our insatiable love for material things, Gone are the days when the adage that says “Good name is better than riches” is respected, and our children today acquire cars and properties without question from parent or society.

We have to inculcate within our bosom the spirit of change and that we are that change we are advocating for. I see people talking about nation building but they are quick to give in to corrupt practices. If only we can stop admiring the bad people in our society, I guess nobody will involve himself in corrupt practices to impress others.

ESTABLISH GOOD HABIT IN THE SOCIETY
A Muslim youth is also demanded by the virtue of his or her religion to establish good habit, this is the time in which opinions, habits and beliefs are formed, and it is important for the time to be spent in personal development, our lives should be blue print of social order. Immediately you identify yourself as a Muslim, you automatically become an ambassador of peace and therefore it becomes incumbent on you to promote and defend peace in your society.

The marijuana pubs should not be a resting room for a Muslim youth, prostitution and gambling should not be part of our habit as we grow. The Quran has categorically forbidden us to engage in any form of social vices In Quran Chapter 5:90

The life of a youth is like a young plant, at that tender age attitudes and habits are malleable and we could adjust it how we want it, if you succeed in taking the right part definitely you will grow to become a useful asset to yourself and your family at large, but if you fail to mould them in responsible manner then be ready to bear the consequences you will face in the future.

SEEK KNOWLEDGE
The Prophet Muhammad S.AW. Referred to the attainment of an education as a duty not a right or a privilege-for all Muslims. In youth, Muslims have the responsibility to pursue both a religious and a formal education as well as any vocational skills that will be helpful in future, Today in Ghana,Some Zongo youth have develop a strong hatred for learning vocational skills that has led to a lot of social vices as a result of unemployment. Formal education is not the only education that one needs to be useful in the future, the secret about our economy now is, and people with technical skills are enjoying the economy than white color jobs.

The attitude of traveling overseas to seek for greener pastures has taken over the conscience of most youth in our community, I am not saying is not the best, but at least we should prepare ourselves enough to work in any condition not necessary overseas. We should be marketable anywhere we go.

Education is not only limited to schools, learning trade or any occupation that required a tutelage should be encourage among the Zongo youth. an illiterate in Ghana is an illiterate everywhere, a lot of our youth hide behind the assumption that, if they don't even have a certificate or any technical skills they will still find a job oversea, I totally agree with them, the same job they will do in overseas are available here just that they have not pay attention to, most of them without any skills end up sweeping streets, cleaning gutters, bathing hours and dogs etc and sometimes factory handlers for long hours, we have same job in Ghana that are ready waiting for them. But the fact that it is in Ghana, they don't need it, but they ready to spend huge sum of money on Visa and plane ticket to get similar job in overseas.

The youths of today are victims of negative norms passed on to them by the older generation. Our psychology is being abused by what the sight of unfortunate acts our elderly ones indulge in, There are a lot of norms and attitude that our older generation adopted and it really worked for them, with our modern world such life is not welcome and must be discarded. The only way that a Muslim youth can adopt without failure is to follow the teachings of the Quran and the traditions of Prophet Mohammed S.AW.

The life of a Muslim is guided if only we will adhere to the rules and regulations of Islam

Whilst we are young we have the potential to follow Islam by advancing our understanding and carrying Islam to others. Youth doesn't last forever so we must make good use of it before it is gone. We have to ensure that we follow the footsteps of the great Muslim youth of the past who were luminaries of humanity. Let us remember the words of the Prophet S.A.W. who said, “Value five things before five other things: Youth before old age; health before sickness; affluence before poverty; leisure before becoming too busy; and life before death.

As youths, we also need a total ethical re-orientation. First we have to really see ourselves as part of the problem. And think of better way of helping those who are not on the right path. I have dealt with a lot of Zongo friends it is very amazing to see some brilliant gentlemen and ladies in the Zongo, These brilliant and intelligent ones should be the light and ambassadors of change in our communities .I believe with this attitude we can save the little ones yet to be born. SALAAM

The One Legacy
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