By Dennis Peprah
Sunyani, Aug. 08, GNA – Sheikh Dr. Amin Bonsu, the National Chairman of the Ghana Muslim Mission (GMM) has inaugurated a 1,000-capacity mosque complex constructed at the cost of GH¢300,000 in Sunyani.
The Youth and Educational Awareness Society, a local non-governmental organisation sought the funding from the people of Kuwait to construct the mosque situated at the enclave of the Sunyani main garage to provide.
The mosque would provide a decent worship centre for the Mission in the Bono Region.
It has offices, residential accommodation, washrooms, and kitchen, three classroom blocks and mechanised boreholes connected with stand pipes.
Speaking at the ceremony, Sheikh Dr. Bonsu commended the NGO and the funders for the assistance and urged the Mission in the region to take proper care of the facility by ensuring regular maintenance.
He advised Muslims to abide by the good teachings and principles of Islam to help change the negative mind-set of people about the religion.
Sheikh Dr. Bonsu indicated Islam was founded on the precept of peace, saying Islam had nothing to do with violence and lawlessness and advised Muslims to think outside the box and support the government to bring the development of the nation to the next level.
He said the Mission prioritised education, and, therefore, urged Muslim parents to invest in the education of their children and inspired the Zongo youth to take their education serious and refrain from lawlessness and unhealthy behaviours that could ruin their lives.
Sheikh Dr. Bonsu said the Mission had so far constructed more than 165 schools across the country, since it was established in 1957.
He appealed to wealthy Muslims to use their wealth to support the needy, but brilliant Muslim students to enable them to achieve high academic laurels to occupy responsible positions in government.
Hajj Mohammed Agyekum, the Deputy Bono Regional Chairman of GMM regretted that challenges such as economic hardship, disunity and terrorism had defamed Islam as a violent religion.
“The GMM is, therefore, doing all that it could to end the practice of defaming others as apostates and close the door on ignorant people who practice killing and terrorism in the name of the religion which Islam is innocent,” he said.
Hajj Agyekum explained: “Primary among our obligations as Muslims is to present to the world the true essence of Islam, the religion of moderation, forgiveness, mercy, rational and scientific dialogue.
“In fact, Islam is not a religion of violence and terrorism or prejudice and isolation.”
Hajj Agyekum said the GMM had set out to propagate Islam through proper education of the cardinal principles and to contribute positively to the development of the nation.
The mission, he added, has established 11 basic schools and a senior high school in the region, and stressed that it was trying hard to start a college of education at Kukuom and a technical school at Mim in the Ahafo region.
Alhaji Suallah Abdallah Quandah, the Bono Regional Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council (NPC) advised Muslims to strive and live peaceably with other religious sects for the purposes of development.
GNA