According to the Sun, Imam Bashir Tahir, the Assistant Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Nigeria in Adamawa State, recently made a strong appeal to fathers during a two-day Media Dialogue in Yola, urging them not to “compete with their babies over the mother’s breast milk.”
The event, titled “Beyond Mothers: Analysing the Role of Fathers and Family Members in Promoting Exclusive Breastfeeding for Child Survival,” was organized by UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office and brought together media practitioners from Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, and Taraba States.
Tahir, who represented the Chairman of the Muslim Council at the dialogue, underscored the divine purpose of breast milk, stating that “God created breast milk strictly for the growth and development of babies.” He emphasized that exclusive breastfeeding is “good and Islamic,” and reiterated the Council’s commitment to supporting UNICEF’s campaign.
Expressing his disapproval of fathers consuming their wives’ breast milk, Tahir remarked, “I have never heard such a thing that a father is struggling with his baby for breast milk.” He warned that such actions deprive the child of essential nutrients and could lead to “discomfort and disrespect in your family.”
Tahir also detailed the council’s strategy for disseminating important messages, highlighting that “there are 1,026 mosques in Adamawa state,” and that key messages, such as the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, are communicated to Imams through mosque secretaries.
He concluded by advising against the practice of husbands consuming breast milk, declaring it sinful and cautioning that “when you suck the breast milk of your wife, she automatically ceases to be your wife and becomes your mother.”
The cleric urged fathers to refrain from such actions to avoid the “wrath of God upon their family.”