Dialogue to promote peace underway
The National Peace Council (NPC) is to begin a series of dialogue nationwide to amicably resolve issues raised by the Muslim Caucus in Parliament and some representative leaders of the Muslim community.
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The groups had complained that some public schools, their heads and teachers, as well as officials of some educational and professional institutions, were violating Article 21 (1) (c) of the 1992 Constitution, which states, “All persons shall have the right to freedom to practise any religion and to manifest such practice.”
The second issue raised by the groups was the prevalence of discriminatory practices in government non-mission schools where heads and teachers who, according to the groups, ought to know better the position of the laws of the land regarding the “right to freedom to practise any religion and to manifest such practice”, perpetuated those discriminatory practices.
They also complained that some Muslim women in some public and private institutions had faced constant embarrassment and humiliation for wearing veils to express their identity and cover what Muslims believed to be nudity or nakedness in Islam.
The dialogue will be held among different interest groups, educational units of religious organisations, religious bodies and non-governmental organisations.
The youth of the various interest groups, as well as the leaders, who will serve as ambassadors to ensure consensus and dialogue around the issues will also be engaged.
A communique is to be issued by the end of March, when the engagements with all parties would have been concluded, on a common position to be advanced by the NPC on the issues brought before it.
Mediation without prejudice
At a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Chairman of the NPC, the Right Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, said as the NPC was engaged on the issues referred to it by the groups, it was aware of a suit by a Ghanaian at the Supreme Court for pronouncements on some of the issues.
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“The National Peace Council, however, is conscious of its mandate to mediate between competing interests so as to ensure the prevalence of a peaceful atmosphere in our educational institutions across the country,” he said.
He said it was the goal of the council to mediate between competing interests in the matter, without prejudice to the outcome of the suit at the Supreme Court.
Circumspection advocated
The Rt Rev. Prof. Asante urged all Christians and Muslims to “hold on to the value of our religious diversity and co-existence, in the context of oneness as a people with a common destiny, that has characterised our national life”.
He urged all to stand together as a nation and resist the temptation to embark on or support any religion-motivated violence.
He further appealed for religious tolerance, “without which religious groups find themselves as enemies and as targets for hatred, discrimination and violent contentions”.
Answering questions from journalists, the Rt Rev. Prof. Asante said there was no tension in Ghana between Muslims and Christians, as some were endeavouring to portray.
However, he said, it was important for all to be circumspect and refrain from pronouncements and acts that had the potential to inflame passions and endanger the peaceful co-existence enjoyed by all in educational institutions and the country as a whole.
Writer's email: caroline.boateng@graphic.com.gh