Muslim leaders challenged to use Friday Prayers to educate youth against extremism


The Interior Minister, Mark Woyongo has challenged Muslim leaders to use the Friday prayers to educate their youth against false doctrine by extremists who are bent on misleading people to believe in their ideologies. 

The advice comes in the wake of media reports indicating the readiness of some Muslim youth joining one of the extreme militant groups, the ISIS. 

Mr Woyongo, said Muslim clerics have a role to diffuse the common perception that Islam was a violent religion and maintained that Islam stood for peace and it was about time youth in the Muslim communities were conscientized on the tenets and principles of Islam. 

He said in doing so, Muslim youth should be reminded not to allow themselves to be deceived into leaving the country to fight for no just cause. 

Mr Woyongo, made the appeal at a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of an ultra modern mosque for the Navrongo Muslim Community in Navrongo.   

Radio Ghana’s Correspondent Isaac Asare who was there reports that the construction of the proposed edifice which is said to cost of three million Ghana cedis will take a period of 8 months to complete beginning this September. The project which is in partial fulfilment of Mr Woyongo’s campaign promises, will be solely funded by some of his close associates. 

Addressing the gathering, Mr Woyongo commended the Muslim community for the peaceful co-existence between them and the Christians and urged them to continue to tolerate each other’s view for the sake of development. He however appealed to the leaders of the various Islamic sects to use their Friday prayers to educate the youth against religious fanatics and extremism.

Touching on the Hajj Pilgrimage, the Interior Minister announced that come next year, prospective Muslims from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions will get the opportunity of travelling to Mecca with ease beginning their journey from the Tamale airport and back. This, he, explained is in recognition of the invaluable support given to government by members of the Muslim communities.

In a speech read for him, the Chief Imam of the Navrongo Muslim Community, Sheikh Alhaji Abdul Kadil Iddris Kunateh, thanked the interior minister and his partners for the show of concern and pledged to nurture the youth through the dictates of the holy Quran. 

He said members of the Muslim community will continue to live at peace with other religious groups. 

Prayers were said to call for Allah’s blessing on the commencement and completion of the project.  


GBC