Imams Frown On Errant Lifestyles & Baby Dumping
By Azlan Othman

Bandar Seri Begawan - Irresponsible youth came into focus yesterday as Imams condemned those who led permissive lifestyles wearing revealing clothing, leading unruly lives that culminated in teenage pregnancies and dumping of babies. They appealed to parents to play a more important role in shaping their children's lives.

This culture full of bad habits that seem to emerge today could have been picked up by the fast changing world, they observed.

However as today's youth are the future leaders of tomorrow one has to tread cautiously to encourage them to get back on track as other wise our society will end up in a mess, the religious leaders observed.

Imams highlighted bad habits plaguing the sultanate such as misuse of drugs and teenage pregnancies. Such concerns were supported by the statistics highlighted previously in the Weekend.

Imams said since youths were the future leaders of tomorrow, the rise and fall of the nation relied upon them. If they were spoilt, then the nation would fall in the future. Likewise, if they were good, then the nation would shine.

The advancement in rapid pace of the information technology changed the lifestyle and exerted pressure that kept on changing. The ever-changing ways of thinking and lifestyles becomes a trend nowadays. Like it or not, we must face it as a challenge.

The community nowadays is more inclined towards what's hip and new without .taking into consideration religion and norms, the Imams said.

For instance, our community has been facing social ills especially among teenagers and youths such as misuse of drugs, consuming alcohol, loafing, unlimited socialising, men wearing earrings, revealing clothes exposing flesh, free sex, homosexuality, and worst of all the irresponsible act of abandoning babies and so on.

Such social ills affect our lives, demoralising one's morale and give a bad name to the nation. Vice activities anger Allah as stated in the Quran. Statistics showed among obvious wrongdoings plaguing the country were the misuse of drugs and free sex as culminating in teenage pregnancies and children born out-of-wedlock.

In 2005, there were 95 teenagers aged below 18 years who gave birth to children out of the wedlock, up from 35 teenagers in 2004. It is saddening to note that majority of them were Muslims involving 92 teenagers.

In mid April this year, Bulletin carried a story whereby the number of illegitimate children recorded an all time high two years ago (2005) in the sultanate when 95 teenagers aged below 18 years gave birth, up from 35 in 2004 and 26 in 2003. There were 28 cases in 1 999, 27 in 2000, 23 in 2001 and 24 in 2002.

Out of the 95 children born out of wedlock, 52 were girls and 43 boys. It was also revealed that 75 of those were not legally authenticated while the rest were of "unknown status". Eighty-eight of the teenage mothers were Malays while seven were non-Malays. In terms of religion, 92 were Muslims and the rest non-Muslims.

Imams added that among the causes of such social ill was unlimited socializing activity that set aside values, norms and religious laws, influence by their peers, misuse of drugs curiosity as well as unlimited freedom by the parent.

In this context, parents or guardians should scrutinise the movements of their child and not get dragged into such social ills. The role of parent is vital is shaping their children by emphasizing on religious and social education as early as in the tender age.

One of the ways to shape them to gain strong faith and moral values was through youth programmes that were beneficial such as youth campaigns, fora, engaging in recreational activities, youth Quran reading, domestic science and so on.

Besides, there are programmes useful to the youths such as enrolling in activities held by the mosque.

The religious leaders called on parents, government and private sectors and organisations and the community to shoulder and multiply efforts against combating the social ills happening in the country to answer the call made by his Majesty in his recent titah during the South East Asia youth Quran reading competition on April 13, 2007. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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