Sheikh Nuhu Abubakar-Saddique, the Chief Imam of the Islamic Propagation and Research Center (IPRC) has condemned attacks on Christians and other innocent lives in the name of the Islamic religion.
According to him, the tenets of the holy Quran and the teachings of the holy prophet of Islam abhors acts of violence hence the activities of terrorists must not be tolerated.
Sheikh Abubakar-Saddique who is also the director of the Islamic Library for Reading and Recording was addressing a section of Muslims at the 4th Garrison Mosque in Kumasi on the topic ‘Peaceful Co-existence with Neighbors’.
He said the formation of groups such as Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda and other terrorist sects contradicts with the teachings of Islam.
Most innocent lives have been lost in some parts of Africa and the World because of the activities of terrorist groups who claim to be defending the Islamic religion.
The activities of these groups in the recent past have been a major challenge for world leaders as more efforts are being made to halt their operations.
Sheikh Abubakar-Saddique believes the activity of the emerging terrorist groups is a ploy to dent the good name of the Islamic religion.
“The meaning of Islam is peace. Even the Holy Prophet Muhammad Peace Be upon Him (P.B.U. H) abhors violence against Christians and other non-believers. The Holy Quran also spells out clearly how Muslims must co-exist peacefully with others. So it baffles me when I hear of groups such as Boko Haram, Al-qaeeda and other Islamist militants claiming to revenge for the Islamic religion,” he stressed.
He mentioned that Islam also enjoins all Muslims to seek knowledge in whichever form adding that if Boko Haram is against knowledge seeking then it is not serving the interest of Islam.
He further said the teachings of Islam do not conform to the ideologies of these terrorist groups.
Advice to Ghanaian Muslims
Sheikh Abubakar-Saddique is therefore calling on Ghanaian Muslims to eschew acts that will breed violence between them and Christians or other believers of different faiths.
He noted that the peaceful co-existence between Muslims and Christians in Ghana cannot be over emphasized and hence such an atmosphere must be maintained forever.
“My advice to fellow Muslims in Ghana is that we should never emulate the behavior of those terrorists who are only interested in blood-shed. Our religion teaches us to be tolerant and so we must all endeavor to live peacefully with our brothers and sisters who are Christians,” the learned scholar appealed.
He also called on all to respect and tolerate one another devoid of their religious believe.
