By Albert Futukpor, GNA
Tamale, Dec. 13, GNA – The Northern Regional Islamic Ummah comprising Muslim sects and groups in the region have called on their respective followers and community members to embrace the spirit of dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflicts.
They also urged their followers to eschew confrontations, violence, and any form of intolerance, saying “Let us engage in constructive conversations seeking to understand one another’s perspectives and finding common ground to address our disagreements.”
This formed part of a joint communiqué they presented at a regional conference in Tamale on religious tolerance and intra-Muslim cohesion.
The Northern Regional Islamic Ummah comprised of the Tamale Central Mosque, Anbariyya Islamic Institute, Shia Muslim Community, Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Mariam Islamic Centre, Nahada Islamic Institute, Manhaliya Islamic Institute and Al-Bayan Institute.
The day’s conference was organised by the Northern Regional Peace Council (NRPC) to close out its project dubbed: “GHA045: Expanding Peacebuilding and Dialogue in Northern Region,” which was funded by the United States Agency for International Development and Office of Transitional Initiative and Littorals Regional Initiative.
The conference was to share lessons learned, discuss the project’s contributions to religious tolerance and intra-Muslim cohesion, and explore opportunities for future engagement and collaboration, among stakeholders.
It was attended by about 350 stakeholders, including leaders of Islamic religious denominations, youth representatives of various Islamic denominations, traditional rulers, queen mothers, government officials, political party leaders, Christian religious leaders, heads of Islamic institutions, major mosques in Tamale, local chapter executives of the Ghana Muslim Students Association, academia, civil society organisation, media houses amongst others.
As part of the GHA045: Expanding Peacebuilding and Dialogue in Northern Region, a seven-month project, which began in March 2023, number of activities were implemented in Tamale and selected districts in the Eastern Corridor of the Northern Region to promote intra-Muslim cohesion, conflict resolution and prevent violent extremism.
Some of the results of the project, which were presented at the conference, showed that since the project’s implementation, beneficiaries had taken independent initiatives to organise community-level peace education and dialogues.
It was to promote social cohesion, peaceful coexistence, and tolerance among the different religious denominations within the Tamale metropolis and communities in the Eastern Corridor of the region.
Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, the Spokesperson to the National Chief Imam, at the conference, expressed the need for all to uphold the value of religious tolerance, and urged them to respect and appreciate people of other faiths.
He advised the participants against personalising issues if they had a different perspective from that of their fellow scholar.
Mr George Amoh, the Executive Secretary of the National Peace Council, encouraged the participants to work to ensure that the country regained her status as the number one peaceful country in Africa, especially as the 2024 general election approached.
He said, “let us not take our unique identity as a peaceful country for granted,” adding religion should not divide the people, rather it should bond them.
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, the Northern Regional Minister, whose speech was read on his behalf, lauded the project and commended all stakeholders for their sacrifices in keeping the peace and security of the region, saying their cooperation, commitment and vigilance would be critical as the country went to the polls next year.
He said, “There is the need for the leaders to keep an eye on the activities of the youth whose engagements, especially in the social media space is creating lots of concerns for us.”
Most Reverend Matthew Yitiereh, the Bishop of Yendi Diocese and Chairman, NRPC, urged all to resolve to work for lasting peace in the region and the country, especially as the country prepared to go to the polls next year.
GNA