By Hafsa Obeng
Accra, Sept. 1, GNA – The Ghana Muslim Mission Women’s Fellowship (GMMWF) has held its 13th National Women’s conference in Accra with the call on Muslim women to take the
responsibility to answer to the needs of their livelihoods now and into the future for sustainable development.
Hajia Azara Abubakari-Haroun, Chief Executive Officer Zakat and Sadaqa Trust Fund of Ghana and Former Head of Institutional Banking, HFC Bank, said this could only be achieved if Muslim women identify and spell out their doable, and achievable goals clearly, and acknowledge the limits of their strength in resource mobilization.
She said to achieve sustainable development Muslim women must pursue set of activities which would result in the attainment of a higher quality of life presently, even as we do not sacrifice the ability of generations of the future to attain their own convenient betterment of lives.
“Therefore, our effort to improve out living conditions must drag into the future to satisfy generations possibly yet unborn.”
She said women in general over the years had been accepted as home makers, nurturing fetuses from the womb to matured independent youth.
Yet when decisions and resources were being made available for development effort, they receive the least, however history suggests that even in the initial days of Islam, the lives of the first Muslim women represent valuable models transcending time and physical boundaries.
“Aisha bint Abu Bakr’s life-contributions illustrate the tremendous impact women can have in the areas of governance, military, academia, religion, and the law. Sumiyyah bint Khabbat sacrificed her life rather than her heartfelt convictions of Faith, and as such she serves as a steadfast testament of the potential of women’s inner strength. Additionally, Shafa bint Adwiyya presents a leadership model for women in elected or appointed office, government, and commerce.”
She said, “if the Fellowship therefore embarks on any plans for sustainable development, they will be following the example of the best Muslim women in history.”
Hajia Abubakari-Haroun noted that to attain sustainable development, Muslim women must agree to move away from the suspicion of fighting the wider public stereotyping and
prejudices and aim to get better at listening to Muslim women and open the door for more women to get involved in the economic, cultural and civic life at the community and possibly the national level.
“As Muslim women, we are natural guides for the youth. So we can institute series of debating and competitions among second Cycle schools on women and sustainable development, grow relationships with Muslim women outside of the Fellowship, make the Fellowship more relevant not just to Muslim women across the country but also Muslim men, and engage in advocacy initiatives.”
She urged Muslim women to lead good exemplary lives, be radiate attributes of faithfulness, obedience, ability and capability, patience, truthfulness, tolerance, fear of God, and prayerfulness.
Hajia Mariama Obeng, National Coordinator, GMMWF, said the GMMWF established in Accra in 1967 as a faith-based organisation and opened to all Muslim women with the passion and commitment to use Islamic principles for the holistic development of Muslims.
She said the Federation was aimed at mobilizing women to educate them on the fundamentals of the Islamic faith in accordance with the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah, educate women on their civic rights and responsibilities, empower and harness their potential for sustainable development of the Muslim communities, foster unity among Muslims and non-Muslims alike and seek the spiritual, physical well-being and general welfare of the women.
She said the theme for the conference “Ghanaian Muslim women on becoming Muslim for sustainable development” was carefully chosen based on the need for moral re-armament that is found in religion.
“Islam is development and Muslims are to develop holistically in a sustainable manner. For Muslims, development which is holistic (material, economic, social, moral and spiritual) should lead to the attainment of goodness in this world and goodness in the life hereafter.”
She urged Muslim women to utilizing the inner dimensions of the five pillars of Islam such as love, unity, justice, equality peace ,sympathy, sisterhood and brotherhood, honesty as the moral values that underpin holistic and sustainable development.
GNA