By Ewoenam Kpodo, GNA
Aflao (VR), June 16, GNA – Alhaji Yusuf Musah Kordah, Ketu South Municipal Chief Imam has urged Muslim faithful to embrace peace and unity to dispel the negative tag on Muslim communities (Zongos).
He said the admonition had become even more important as the country prepared to go into the December 07 elections saying, believers had a role to play to dispel the stereotype about Zongos.
Alhaji Kordah, who made the call in a sermon, while he led Eid prayer at Aflao on Sunday underscored the need to live in unity and show love to Muslims and people of other faiths and shun violent acts.
“Embracing peace and unity is a powerful way to dispel stereotypes and ensure national cohesion. This is an election year and because Zongos are considered as flashpoints for violence and insurgency, we need to as Muslims, stay away from trouble so as not to perpetuate that misconception about us.
“We need to prove that Muslims, like any religious group, are diverse and cannot be defined by a single trait or action and that we are peaceful and contribute positively to the nation’s development. So, let’s live in harmony among ourselves and with all persons as Allah says.”
The Chief Imam’s sermon was translated into Ewe, Hausa, and Yoruba to serve attendees of the prayer, who included people of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities, united in their faith and spirit of celebration.
Muslim faithful in Ketu South performed the Eid prayer, a congregational prayer that is an essential part of Eid al-Adha celebration at locations including Gakli and Agbozume which had Imams and religious leaders lead the congregations in prayer, followed by sermons emphasising the importance of compassion, forgiveness, and kindness towards all.
At Agbozume, Mr Maxwell Koffie Lugudor, Municipal Chief Executive of Ketu South urged the congregation to stay away from acts which would impugn the Islamic faith.
He asked them to pray for peace in the upcoming elections while appealing to them to vote for one of their own, Vice President Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party as the next President of Ghana.
Imam Musah Yekini Adewale at the Aflao Central Mosque in an interview with Ghana News Agency after the prayer, said the true essence of Eid al-Adha was the act of sacrifice, and many Muslims would perform the symbolic sacrifice of an animal in commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son to Allah as stated in Quran chapter nine.
He indicated that many would spend the rest of the day visiting family and friends, engaging in charitable acts, and enjoying traditional Eid delicacies.
GNA