Ameer calls for political decency (Front Page)

THE Ameer and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Maulvi Dr A. Wahab Adam, has stated that since Ghanaians have chosen, out of their own free will, to practise multi-party democracy, they have no choice but to create an enabling environment for mutual respect, tolerance and active co-operation among all parties.
He maintained that that decision presupposed the use of decent language in political discourse, devoid of invectives and all manner of insults.
Delivering a sermon on the occasion of this year’s Eid-ul-Adha held at the Ahmadiyya Conference Centre at Ashongman, near Accra, yesterday, Maulvi Adam observed that of late many well-meaning Ghanaians had expressed “horror and utter disappointment at the indecency of language used in our political discourse”.
“Such foul language is bound not only to send wrong signals to potential investors but also it is as un-Ghanaian as it is a bad example for the youth who are the future leaders of the country,” he pointed out.
The Head of the Ahmadiyya Mission indicated that one of the cardinal principles of the Hajj, according to the Holy Qur’an, was to eschew lewd talk, quarrelling and transgression and show respect to one another in all dealings, as members of the human fraternity created by the Almighty in His own image.
He explained that the Hajj was one of the five pillars of Islam and that Eid-ul-Adha, which means Sacrifice Festival, was celebrated by Muslims all over the world to mark the spectacular sacrifice by the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) of his only son, Ismail (Ishmael), with the active support of his spouse, Hajrah (Hagar) in willing obedience to Allah’s command.
Maulvi Adam said it was not a mere coincidence that this year’s Eid day fell on the International Day of Tolerance as declared by the United Nations (UN).
“On the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha which marks the end of the ritual of the Hajj, we need to remind ourselves of the crucial importance of unity, mutual co-operation and sincere co-existence, despite our political, religious and ethnic diversity, and also sacrifice and hard work to build a strong and prosperous nation,” he stressed.
He noted that Eid-ul-Adha, which is the culmination of the rituals of the Hajj, should be considered as a means not only for moral and spiritual uplift but also a reminder of the need for nation building.
As part of the occasion, the Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana led the congregation in fervent prayers for the unity, peace and prosperity of the nation.
From the Burma Camp in Accra, Michael Donkor reports that the Minister of Defence, Lt Gen Joseph Henry Smith (retd) called on the Muslim community in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to live in harmony with their neighbours and work together as one people for the good of the country.
He said as Muslims, Islam taught them to be peace-loving and share a common humanity that should inspire them to work together.
Lt Gen Smith made the call at special Muslim prayers to mark Eid-ul-Adha at the Burma Camp in Accra.
He said Eid-ul-Adha was a great reminder to all humanity of the importance of principles, such as faith, repentance, honesty, sympathy and equality, as well as concern for the dispossessed and the poor.
He urged Muslim soldiers to let the symbolic sacrifice to instil in them the values of love, sacrifice and compassion that would influence their everyday interactions with one another, irrespective of ethnic and religious origin, as they strove to build the nation together.
In an address read on his behalf, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Lt Gen Peter Blay, reminded the soldiers that their actions should be underpinned by their love for mankind and the entire creation of the “one true God”.
He said their ability to share would demonstrate the sense of sacrifice exhibited by the Patriarch Abraham and urged them to do things that would enhance the image of the GAF as an institution devoted to serving the needs of the nation.
The Chief Imam of the GAF, Lt Col Sheikh Seidu Adam, urged the soldiers not to yield or succumb to defeat or cowardice and give up any good thing in their lives.
He said one should rather ask God for the power to endure those frequent trials successfully to prove oneself worthy of one’s position as a divine leader, statesman or politician.