Some Muslims are fond of condemning western morality – alcoholism, nudity, premarital sex and homosexuality often being cited as examples. But Muslims do not have a monopoly on morality. In the west, child marriages and sex with children are illegal. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for many Muslim countries..

I recently saw the documentary on the Dancing Boys of Afghanistan. It exposed an ancient custom called "bacha bazi" (boy for play), where rich men buy boys as young as 11 from impoverished families for sexual slavery. The boys are dressed in women's clothes and made to dance and sing at parties, before being carted away by the men for sex. Owning boys is considered a symbol of status and one former warlord boasted of having up to 3,000 boys over a 20-year period, even though he was married, with two sons. The involvement of the police and inaction of the government means this form of child prostitution is widespread.

The moral hypocrisy is outrageous in a country where homosexuality is not only strictly forbidden but savagely punished, even between two consenting adults. However, men who sodomise young boys are not considered homosexuals or paedophiles. The love of young boys is not a phenomenon restricted to Afghanistan; homosexual pederasty is common in neighbouring Pakistan, too. In my view, repression of sexuality and extreme gender apartheid is to blame.

And in the Middle East, it's young girls who are considered desirable and men are able to satisfy their lusts legally through child marriages. In Yemen, more than a quarter of girls are married before the age of 15. Cases of girls dying during childbirth are not unusual, and recently, one 12-year-old child bride even died from internal bleeding following sexual intercourse. In another case, a 12-year-old girl was married to an 80-year-old man in Saudi Arabia.

So why is the practice of child marriage sanctioned in Muslim countries? Unfortunately, ultra-conservative religious authorities justify this old tribal custom by citing the prophet Muhammad's marriage to Aisha. They allege Aisha was nine years old when the prophet married her. But they focus conveniently on selected Islamic texts to support their opinions, while ignoring vast number of other texts and historical information, which suggests Aisha was much older, putting her age of marriage at 19. Child marriage is against Islam as the Qur'an is clear that intellectual maturity is the basis for deciding age of marriage, and not puberty, as suggested by these clerics.

Whatever one's view on the prophet's marriage, no faith can claim moral superiority since child marriages have been practised in various cultures and societies across the world at one time or another. In modern times, though, marrying children is no longer acceptable and no excuse should be used to justify this.

I find the false adherence to Islamic principles and the "holier than thou" attitude of some Muslim societies similar to the blatant hypocrisy and double standards of 19th-century Victorian Britain, where the outward appearance of dignity and prudishness camouflaged an extreme prevalence of sexual and moral depravity behind closed doors. In those days, too, there were many men willing to pay to have sex with children – until a plethora of social movements arose that resulted in changes in laws and attitudes in society.

A similar shift in social attitudes is also required in traditional Muslim societies. Having boy sex slaves or child brides should not be seen as badges of honour. Instead, Muslims need to do more to attach shame to such practices; otherwise, acceptance of this behaviour will make them complicit in the sexual exploitation of children. I fail to understand why Muslims are so vocal on abuses by the west in Abu Ghraib, Guantánamo, Iraq and Afghanistan, but display moral blindness when it comes to children? It's about time this silence was broken, so these violations of innocence can be stopped.

A too-passive attitude in dealing with child abuse has rubbed off on Muslim communities in Britain, too. I have heard many stories at first hand of child sexual abuse and rape, which show that the issue is not being addressed at all. Those who have had the courage to speak out have been met with reactions of denial and shame. Such attitudes mean that children will continue to suffer in silence. Sexual abuse of children happens in all communities, as has been revealed by the recent Catholic church scandal. At least, they have finally started to take action. Muslim communities should learn from this and also start being more open, instead of continuing to sweeping the issue under the carpet.

I am finding that more and more Muslims feel it is their duty to criticise others for actions they consider sinful – quoting the following popular saying of Muhammad to justify their interference:

"If you see something wrong, you should correct it with your hand and if you are unable to, then speak out against it and if you cannot do that, then feel that it is wrong in your heart."

I wonder how, then, Muslims can remain silent when it comes to the sexual abuse of children?

Acting President Goodluck Jonathan had a baptism of fire yesterday as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) detonated two bombs at the post amnesty dialogue organised by Vanguard Media Limited, the publishers of Vanguard newspapers in Warri, Delta State, that left one person dead.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Charles Muka, the Delta State Police Command spokesperson, that one person died in the explosion. Mr. Muka said that the police headquarters in Asaba, the state capital, had received the report of the death of a woman in the explosion, which also injured a number of other persons. He could not ascertain the number of those who were injured in the blast, which twice rocked the venue of the meeting.

The explosions caused the postponement of the meeting hosted by the Delta State government.

It was gathered that the first bomb exploded at 11 a.m. as governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta was walking into the hall with his colleagues from Imo and Delta, Ikedi Ohakim and Adams Oshiomhole.

The Niger Delta Minister, Ufot Ekaette, who represented Mr. Jonathan, was also behind the governors, witnesses said.

Eyewitness account

Daniel Orji, a staff of the Delta Broadcasting Corporation, who was at the scene of the explosions said in a phone interview, “There was a bomb explosion while the programme was on.

“After about 30 minutes, the second one exploded. The initial report was that three people were injured. Two cars exploded but altogether four cars were affected; two other cars that w ere beside the second car were affected.”

Mr. Orji added that immediately after the second explosion everybody scampered away for safety, unlike the first explosion when people still stayed at the venue.

Also, MEND in an e-mail message signed by its usual signatory, Jomo Gbomo, to journalists confirmed the attacks:

“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta salutes all its operatives who at great risk, successfully planted and detonated two car bombs at the venue of the Vanguard Post Amnesty Conference in Warri,” the statement said.

“Three such bombs, of varying strength, were planted at this venue. It was unnecessary to detonate the third and most powerful bomb as our operatives noticed the participants at this jamboree fled towards the direction of the last bomb.

“Any attempt to detonate this bomb would have resulted in great loss of lives. This bomb is being preserved for future use.

“All who participated in this operation safely returned to their respective bases.”

Oma Djebah, the Delta State information commissioner, had earlier in the day confirmed the explosion.

“Yes, there was an explosion about 200 meters away from the conference venue,” Mr. Djebah said in a phone interview.

Contrary to agency reports which indicated that the device went off near the main hall of the event, Mr. Djebah claimed that the explosion went off in a car parked away from the venue.

“The explosion happened while Sam Amuka-Pemu - the Vanguard Publisher - was giving his address after the chairman, Patrick Aziza, had given his opening remarks,” said a source who was at the conference.

We’re no media creation

However, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said in an e-mailed statement to journalists that it had planted three explosive devices in and around Delta State Government House in Warri to debunk the state governor’s claim that “MEND is a media creation.” “After receiving the baton of ignorance from his Bayelsa State counterpart, the governor of Delta State declared in the Vanguard newspaper of February 22, 2010 that “the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is a media creation,” the statement said and promised that it would detonate the first bomb remotely at 11:30 hours Nigerian time, which it did.

The use of car bombs marks a significant change in the tactics adopted by MEND, which had maintained a tenuous peace since the federal government amnesty programme commenced last June. The deal, brokered with the aid of the then Vice President Goddluck Jonathan, has been touted as the greatest achievement of the Yar’Adua administration till date.

MEND also disputed insinuations that the attack was targeted against specific individuals saying, “It was not targeted to harm anyone and that is why the cars were not filled with bolts, nuts and nails which in the event of a blast become deadly projectiles. Our aim was to stop the jamboree and pass a message to Uduaghan.”

Amnesty on course

Meanwhile at Abuja, the Federal Government reinstated its commitment to pursue the post amnesty programme, the explosions notwithstanding.

“We’re on top of the situation in Niger Delta,” Mr. Jonathan said at the State House while receiving Kenneth Yellowe, the chairman and chief executive of Global Gas and Refining Limited.

“The problems in the region, being human and development-related, are such that require time to be addressed. I encourage the Niger Delta people and major companies in the region to keep faith with government, as we are determined to reinvigorate post-amnesty plans and programmes for the region.”