Let's always strive for peace and unity - Tumu Chief Imam

Alhaji Adamu Alidu Kanton, acting Chief Imam of Tumu, has advised Ghanaians to always strive and work for peace and unity.

He was addressing Muslims after the Eid-ul Fitr prayers at Tumu on Thursday to mark the end of the Muslim month-long fasting.

Alhaji Kanto said peace and unity in the country was important, especially before, during and after the upcoming elections and increasing religious diversity.

He cautioned against allowing minor differences, such as the time of Eid prayers not to bring about division among Muslims.

He said: “Let's all strive for peace and unity and holding divergent views on worship time should not be a source of conflict.”

The Imam also urged Muslims about the disciplined nature of Ramadan, a time when they abstained from food and other pleasurable desires from dawn until dusk and tasked them to continue to be disciplined in everything that they do by adhering to Allah’s commandments.

He took the opportunity to remind the congregation that despite the end of the fasting period, the principles of peace, unity, and tolerance should continue to guide their actions, particularly in this election year.

“Remember, no politician or government can solve all your problems, it is only Allah who can. Therefore, you should not let politics divide you as a people,” he advised.

He advised the youth to distance themselves from violence and reliance on politicians and political parties to solve their problems but to place their trust in divine providence over political promises.

He noted that the diversity of meals being prepared for Eid celebrations by different families to the diversity of opinions and choices within the community, emphasizing that variety should enrich rather than divide.

Mr Fuseini Yakubu Batong, the Sissala East Municipal Chief Executive, also reiterated the call for peace, particularly the dangers of electoral violence.

“Elections are not about fighting; they are about differences in ideas and policies,” he explained.

He urged those with land disputes to use due process and not cause tensions between communities in the constituency so the little resources would not be spent on mitigating conflicts instead of water and educational amenities.

“We are on a developmental course and so if there happen to be fights or tensions then we would have no other choice than to use the limited resources at our disposal to try to restore peace at the expense of more pressing needs,” he said.

He expressed gratitude for the Islamic leaders’ unity and appealed for continuous prayer for peace and harmony for the constituency and Ghana as a whole.

GNA