The Minister for Inner City and Zongo Development, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid has lamented that COVID-19 pandemic has broken the communal spirit of Islam.
The world is almost at a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic with various countries both large and small putting in place measures to cushion their citizens, against further damage.
In Ghana, the situation isn’t any different as President Nana Akufo-Addo has extended the ban on public gatherings by an additional two weeks after an initial six-week period.
The ban placed on all public gatherings including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, church activities, and other related events as part of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus in the country.
This ban has changed the way Ramadan is observed by Muslims in Ghana and other parts of the world as they cannot converge for prayers and its related activities.
Speaking on Citi TV‘s current affairs program, The Point of View on Monday, April 27, 2020, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid who is also an Islamic scholar said the development is a big blow to the Muslim community.
“Islam is a brotherhood. It is a community. It is communal by its nature and its because of that you find all these kinds of communal activities that surround every activity of Islam from the Hajj to the fasting and to the prayers. Everything is communal. So that communal spirit quite frankly has been broken by COVID-19 and that for us (Muslims) across the country and all over the world, its a big blow to the very cohesion and the definition of what Islam is,” the Islamic Scholar said.
COVID-19: Akufo-Addo laments effect of ban on gatherings on Ramadan celebration
President Nana Akufo-Addo lamented the effect of the ban on gatherings on Ramadan celebration due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.
Focusing on the celebration of Ramadan, Akufo-Addo continued by saying he is saddened that the holy month of Ramadan which begins this week cannot be observed like always.
“For instance, today is the eve of Ramadan and mosques are not operating. It is the first time in my lifetime that Ramadan is going to be celebrated without mosques being open. These are very difficult times and they require difficult decisions to be taken.”
In a related development, the Spokesperson of the National Chief Imam, Sheik Aremeyaw Shaibu has noted that this year’s Ramadan will be different due to the absence of its related devotional activities; Tarawih, Isah Qadr, and Tafsir.
He, however, assured Muslims that this does not affect the quality of their fast.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has extended the ban on public gatherings by an additional two weeks during his eighth address to the nation on the outbreak of the novel coronavirus