Suleiman Njoku, chief Iman in Imo state says criminal activities of bandits and Boko Haram, in the northern parts are factors influencing various misconceptions held by Igbos regarding Muslims.
He spoke on the challenges Muslim faithful encounters in the south-east, including their struggle to find partners.
The cleric revealed this in a recent interview with Punch, where he discussed numerous issues related to practising Islam in the predominantly Christian area of the nation.
Njoku said that individual differences should not be erroneously attributed to an entire faith or religion.
He said embracing Islam in an Igbo community has been a source of joy and gratitude to him, as the religion represents a complete way of life that guides all aspects of human endeavour.
He noted that blending culture with religion, which can lead to deviation from Islamic teachings, is one significant challenge faced by Muslims in the east.
The Iman also debunked the insinuation that Igbo Muslims practice the religion mainly because they receive money from the Arabs.
On discrimination suffered by Muslims in Igboland, Njoku said they manifest in various ways, evidently denial of employment opportunity by the state government.
He added that once a recruiting manager sees a Muslim name on an application, they will remove such person from the list of job seekers and ask them to seek jobs in the North.
“Also, our ladies cannot wear hijabs because of the fear of attack. If they wear hijabs they will be called Boko-haram, but I usually tell them to shun any form of distraction and follow the commandment of God to rule their lives,” he said.
“The Igbo don’t like marrying Muslims, and they discourage anyone who wants to marry Muslims.”
However, he lauded Hope Uzodimma, governor of the state for showing exceptional support for the Muslim in Imo, as he sponsored 200 Muslims from the state to Mecca during the 2023 Hajj.
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