The Deputy National Chief Imam of the Ahlul-Sunna Wajamaa, Sheik Mohammed Kamil has called on Government to declare its stance on issues relating to the wearing of the Islamic veil popularly called Hijab by Muslim women in Ghana.
According to him, female Muslims who put on Hijab are being harassed by authorities in some schools and other state agencies.
[contextly_sidebar id=”W8hTzc8mPRrsKlylErs9pfBkgy5dltfg”]He said Ghana is a peaceful country and such acts could mar the peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in the country and thus must eschew from those behaviours.
There have been several agitations and disagreements by the Muslim community in Ghana on the ban on Hijab in some schools and state agencies.
A recent announcement to ban the wearing of the Hijab at the Parkoso Community Day Senior High School in the Ashanti Region saw members of the Muslim community in Kumasi taking to social media to express their disagreement on the issue.
Speaking to Citi News in his Eid message, Sheik Kamil urged the President to speak out on the issue.
“These days, what is going on in Ghana, we are not happy about it. It is about our females who wear the Hijab to schools and other Government institutions. I think they are now being harassed for wearing Hijab. I don’t think it is a good practice, because they have to be tolerant of Islam, to the Muslims and to our daughters. That is our religion. You cannot take us out of the religion, so they should exercise restraint, if not we are not going to sit peacefully with them. Ghana is a peaceful country and we need peace,” he stressed.
Sheik Kamil said the Mahama-led administration boldly came out to speak on the issue and there was finality on it.
He, therefore, urged the current administration to also come out and speak on the matter to end the ensuing disagreement.
“When John Mahama was in power, he came out and spoke about this matter so we want this Government to come out and let his people know that Ghana is a secular country and is not for Christians so they can’t control us, they can’t ask us to do what they want. We are Muslims, we will stay Muslims, we will die Muslims,” he said
The Muslim cleric indicated that leadership of the Muslim community has raised this issue with the Peace Council, but some authorities are still harassing Muslim females who wear the Hijab despite the council’s intervention on the matter.