Sickle cell: Group advocates mandatory premarital blood screening for intending couples

By Our Correspondent

A group,Young Muslims Association 

of Nigeria (YMAN), has advocated mandatory premarital blood screening for intending couples. 

 The group made the call in a six-point statement it issued on Sunday at the end of its 38th Annual National Conference held at Iworoko, an Ado-Ekiti suburb.

 The statement signed by Mr Ismail Bello, the association’s Public Relations Officer, noted that the screening became necessary in order to curb rampant cases of sickle cell diseases in the society. 

The conference was attended by no fewer than 480 delegates from across the 16 local government areas of the state. 

 Bello said that such an intervention was needed to make the occurrence of new infections, as regards sickle cell, easily preventable. 

 “It will also go a long way in reducing the number of victims; more importantly, the anti-Islamic practices being embarked upon by victims, especially as postmarital prevention will be curbed,” he said. 

Bello said that the group also urged Muslims whose wealth were due for Zakat (voluntary offering) to channel such appropriately to benefit the less privileged. 

 “Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam and a divine commandment from Allah which every devoted Muslim must adhere to,” he said. 

Similarly, Bello charged Muslims to equip themselves with adequate knowledge of the Holy Quoran as a guide to gain the desired eternal salvation. 

 While expressing displeasure with the level of poverty in the country, he urged Muslims to always be their brothers’ keepers through alms giving. 

 “Poverty is identified as one of the major problems in the country. “If poverty is eradicated, most other problems will reduce significantly. 

"The viability of Zakat as a means of poverty eradication if channelled appropriately cannot be over emphasised,” he said. 

 Bello also urged the Federal Government to find lasting solutions to insecurity, especially, banditry and kidnappings so as to move the country forward. 

 He, however, commended the government over its recent floating of varieties of Islamic financial packages to grow the economy. 

Bello said that the group also appealed for restraint on the part of the nation’s media practitioners over their reportage of religious activities and events so as not to heat up the polity.

 “The issue bordering on wearing of hijab by female Muslims needs to be urgently and promptly addressed by relevant constitutional provisions. 

"On no circumstance should any Nigerian citizen be molested or denied his or her right due to the observance and manifestation of his/her faith,” he added. 

Some of the topics discussed during the conference include: Islamic Guidance in Relation to People of other Faiths; Societal Peace: the Islamic Approach; and Zakat as a Viable Tool for Poverty Eradication. 

Others are : Burden of Sickle Cell Diseases; Importance of Genotype Screening; and Tapping into the Islamic Finance/Banking Packages. (NAN)