By Hafsa Obeng
Accra, Sept. 29, GNA – The Second Annual National Muslim Conference (NMC), Ghana under the leadership of the National Chief Imam, has resolved to pool resources to speed up the development of Muslim communities in the areas of education, health and finance.
The conference, held with the support of all National Imams, noted the enormous challenges confronting the Muslim Ummah in Ghana and the debilitating impact on Educational, Health and the Socio-Economic wellbeing of Muslim Communities in Ghana.
In a communique presented at the closing ceremony of the recent Conference in Accra, Mr Inusah Mohammed Baba, Ag. General Secretary, NMC, Ghana, said conscious of the fact that no single Muslim group nor individual could change the current condition of Muslims, the conference resolved to commit to intra-faith unity in diversity to galvanize the Muslim Community in Ghana for sustainable communal and national development.
He said conscious efforts needed to be made to move Muslims out of extreme poverty, ignorance and disease, and the NMC was poised to confront and surmount the socio-economic challenges facing the Muslim community in Ghana.
The conference also identified enhanced economic empowerment of the Muslim woman, education, practical TVET for the youth, and the inculcation of Islamic moral values in the youth as the key areas that needed urgent attention of the NMC.
Mr Baba said the NMC later developed and adopted two important strategic documents, the Ghana Muslim Education Strategy and the Ghana Muslim Economic Empowerment Strategy, to guide their efforts and steps towards achieving their aspirations.
“The conference has adopted a work plan for 2022/2023 to be implemented by the Management Board of the NMC and report back at the next conference in September 2023, In Shaa Allah.”
Alhaji Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, Chairman of the Muslim Caucus in Parliament, and Member of the Governing Board of the NMC, urged various National Imams of Islamic Sects to help bring together the various Islamic schools in the country under one body.
He said if the various Muslim factions continued to hold on to their schools as individuals, it would be very difficult for the Muslim communities to overcome most of the challenges facing them.
Alhaji Muntaka urged Muslim communities to refrain from celebrating poverty, expressing the hope that individual Muslim groupings would look at how they could strengthen the unity among them to reflect the collective unity they intend to create.
Sheikh Dr. Amin Bonsu, National Chairman, Ghana Muslim Mission, entreated Muslims to cultivate the habit of giving to support worthy initiatives aimed at improving developments in Muslim communities, especially education.
“We need to donate to support many schools so that our children get quality education, and this will help us to sustain the peace and unity among us,” he said.
The just ended Second National Muslim Conference, on the theme: “Towards a Coherent and Holistic Economic Empowerment Strategy for National Development-The Ghanaian Muslim Ummah in Context”, was to create a Forum for Ghanaian Muslims to deliberate on how to make communities economically prosperous and eliminate extreme poverty and deprivation.
It was expected to serve as the mouthpiece of all Muslims on matters of mutual concern and to serve as a forum for Ghanaian Muslims to deliberate on national policies and programmes.
It was also to offer opportunities for Muslims to participate in the legislative process through the submission of memoranda to committees of parliament when bills are been considered as well as represent Muslims to seek redress in the courts of the land on matters affecting the legal and fundamental rights of Muslims in Ghana.
The Conference was established under a deed signed by the National Leaders of all the Muslim groups in Ghana, namely, Ahmadiyya, Tijania, Ahlu Sunnah and Shia as well as the Ghana Muslim Mission and the Muslim Caucus of Parliament.
GNA