Minister of Inner Cities:Ghana Government Promotes Religious Coexistence in Society

  • 2020-Nov-08

Dr. Mustafa Abdul-Hamid, Minister of Inner Cities and Development in Zongo Region, Ghana, said that Muslims and Christians in Ghana believe in living in peace and harmony, stressing that the Ghanaian government is working to promote religious coexistence among all members of society.

 Dr. Mustapha explained, during a virtual lecture of the World Muslim Communities Council entitled (Christian-Muslim Relations in Ghana as a Pathway to Peace: An Argument for Inter-Religious Schooling), held on Saturday, November 7th, 2020, via the Council's social media pages, that the percentage of Muslims Ghana is 17.6% of the population, and its law provides for the right to freely choose religion and express beliefs, stressing that Ghana is a secular country largely immune to religious conflicts, with the exception of some conflicts in schools.

 The Minister of Inner Cities in Ghana said that the schools considers the practice of religions compulsory and part of the disciplinary structure for students, reviewing also the experience of Islamic schools (Makaranta), which are considered a center for reading, learning and training up to secondary school. He said that some graduates of Makaranta get foreign scholarships  to become sheikhs in Ghana when they return.

 Dr. Mustafa explained that the Zongo region in Ghana is an area for Muslim communities, and it has a fund and a ministry for the development. He is stressing that according to the instructions of the Ghana Presidency, the government is working to empower youth, protect them from extremism, and improve the lives of Muslims in Zongo by integrating society, education, religious and ethical values, mutual understanding, and private schools.

 He added, "Each of us has his own religion and our society is intertwined. No one should be compelled to practice the rituals of another religion. Religious rites based on belief must be practiced without discrimination. Peace between Muslims and Christians is achieved through peaceful coexistence and mutual understanding". 

 It is noteworthy that the World Muslim Communities Council is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi. It is considered a think tank to rationalize organizations and societies working in Muslim societies, renew their thinking and improve their performance in order to achieve one goal;  The integration of Muslim societies in their countries, in a way that their members realize the perfection of citizenship and complete affiliation with the Islamic religion.

 The council seeks, through holding dozens of virtual conferences, seminars and activities, to localize the concepts of religious, ethnic and cultural pluralism, in a manner that preserves human dignity and respect for his beliefs, and establishes the values ​​of moderation, dialogue, tolerance and belonging to the homelands.

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