To The Defenders Of The Religious Discrimination And Intolerance Of Wesley Girls Shs

Historically, the actions of schools and institutions such as Wesley Girls SHS has proven to be unsustainable, as those who are being discriminated against gradually gain their voice and the courage to use lawful means to dismantle such traditional but unlawful systems.

It may take some time to achieve such an objective but it will happen, especially when the objective is within the ambit of the law.

To those defending such unlawful and dangerous actions. You are not the first, so is the discriminatory system you are defending.

Globally, we have seen worse systems. People defended such systems with everything they got including their lives but those systems finally collapsed.

Unfortunately, the logic of those defending the religious discrimination and intolerance in the Wesley Girls SHS was the same reasoning given by those who defended some of history's most profound injustices such as slavery, apartheid, colonialism, white supremacy, even Nazism and Zionism.

It all started small until it got out of hand.

Although I personally attended government established and Islamic schools, I can say as a Muslim that I got most of my education in Christian Missionary Schools.

I attended a Presbyterian Primary, Presbyterian JHS, Evangelical Presbyterian College and Presbyterian University.

Notwithstanding the fact that the situation in some of the Christian Missionary schools I attended was not ideal, as I was forced to attend Church services, and perform some Christian religious rites, it was far better than what some schools such as Wesley Girls SHS are putting Muslim students through.

At least I was allowed to pray five times a day, observe my fast, read the Holy Quran and congregate as Muslim students to discuss issues of mutual concern.

The actions of Wesley Girls SHS to say the least is among the most extreme enforcement of religious intolerance and discrimination.

Some actions such as:
1. Quran being described as an "unprescribed item", therefore keeping it attract punishment.

2. Not allowing Muslim students to offer their five daily prayers at corners of their dormitories. Even going further to encourage students to report any Muslim caught offering the five daily prayers for punishment.

3. Denying Muslim students the right to fast in the month of Ramadan and taking such extreme measures of force-feeding students to confirm they are not fasting or to break their fast.

Such actions exposes the ethical flaw and the universal danger of religious intolerance.

I must reiterate that no one is asking for a Mosque to be built in the school. We are simply asking for a fundamental right granted Muslim students by the constitution of Ghana.

Especially, when all of us pay taxes used by government to remunerate the staff and provide infrastructure as well as teaching and learning materials for such schools.

The claim by the defenders that "If you want to observe Muslim religious rites then go to Islamic schools" is the most dangerous and preposterous of all. It tells the student that "You do not belong here. You are not one of us." And it is either our way or the highway.

No democracy survives on such a colonial and backward mentality.

Indeed, such a statement implies that the fundamental freedom to practice one's religion is conditional and not a universal right within the school community.

Sadly, such profound hypocrisy that undermines the moral standing of the claimants is allowed to pass as a defense.

Let's remember that the seeds of intolerance, when justified by tradition, primacy or supremacy, can grow into monstrous systems.

The right to practice and manifest ones religion in Ghana is a fundamental right granted to all by the constitution of Ghana.

Alhassan Ahmed
rahmed2013@gmail.com

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