Why you cannot ban live coverage of spiritual activities in 2 Holy Mosques during Ramadan, Nigeria’s Media Group tells Saudi Crown Prince
By KEMI KASUMU
The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) Friday reacted to the purported ban of live coverage of Tarawih Prayers from Masjid Haram in Makkah and the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque in Madinah, during the forthcoming holy month of Ramadhan.
The ban, claimed to have been imposed by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, is described by the group as disservice to Islam and attempt to deny Muslims, globally, the annual spiritual opportunity and benefits of several decades.
In a statement issued and signed by the Group’s National Coordinator, Alhaji ibrahim Abdullahi, dated 25th March, 2022 equivalent to 22nd Sha’aban, 1443 A.H. and copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER, the MMWG called on kingdom’s authorities to rescind the order without further delay, as it said the live coverage is a spiritually rewarding exercise that promotes spiritual uprightness, consciousness and awareness and denial of which, it said, would be felt adversely by entire Muslim World.
“As the whole world looks forward to this year’s Holy Month of Ramadhan, thousands of believers would come together from the world-over to worship in two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madina as part of Umra/Lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia, denying millions of muslims the world-over the benefit of participating in the live coverage of the spiritual activities including spiritually rewarding Sermons to be delivered by several Imams of the Holy Mosques would be tantamount to spiritual denigration that remains questionable,” the Group stated.
MMWG described the news report as shocking to the media world as Ramadhan and Hajj remain most significant religious occasions that Saudi Arabia should give highest publicity they deserve because of their spiritual, economic, social and cultural values.
The Group called on Muslim World League (MWL) and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to admonish Saudi Arabian authorities to desist from actions and steps that would always subject it to avoidable criticism.
