Muslim Cleric proposes Tamale Airport as Hajj departure point

A renowned Muslim cleric and General Overseer of Masjidul-Bayaan, a Tamale-based Islamic sect, Sheikh Ibrahim Basha, popularly known as Sheikh Bayaan, has suggested to government to make the newly refurbished Tamale Airport as the main transit point for the annual Muslims Hajj to Mecca.

Addressing newsmen and a section of the Muslim community in Tamale Friday on the 2007 pilgrimage to Mecca: difficulties and the way forward, Sheikh Bayaan observed that Hajj organisation in the country "has all of a sudden become a canker to the Muslim community and the country as a whole."

Thousands of pilgrims, many of whom come from Northern Ghana, in recent times go through 'hell' in pursuit of their religious rights due to gross organisational failures on the part of organisers.

It is against this background that the Cleric has proposed that the Tamale airport should be made the centre of all Hajj activities in Ghana, which in his view will ensure that "pilgrims who are usually old will no longer do the 14-16 hours journey from Upper West, Upper East, Northern and some parts of Brong Ahafo regions to Accra to be left stranded," adding that, "Tamale and its surrounding villages will accommodate them [the pilgrims] easily whilst awaiting departure."

Records show that in the 1970s, pilgrims departed from the Tamale airport on a number of occasions without any difficulties. Again, both the South African and the Senegalese football teams successfully flew direct from their respective countries to the airport in the ongoing Ghana 2008 African Cup of Nations football tournament.

The Muslim scholar believes that the Tamale airport is now in a better shape to undertake such purposes as the facilities there have been improved to international standards.

The Masjidul-Bayaan spiritual leader also appealed to Government to as a matter of urgency consult experts, involving faithful, sincere and committed Islamic scholars from all sects in Ghana to reconstitute the Hajj Board/Committee so as to avoid any future hajj catastrophe.

Sheikh Bayaan however thanked President Kufuor and his government for their timely intervention to provide emergency flights to airlift the stranded pilgrims at the Kotoka International Airport.

"Indisputably, we Muslims in Ghana do have an esteemed appreciation of President Kufuor's intervention and pray to the All Nourisher and Merciful to richly bless H.E and his Cabinet," he emphasized.

Hajj or Pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five pillars of Islam. Every Muslim who can afford the financial and health means must perform Hajj at least once in his/her lifetime.

By Fred Tetteh Alarti-Amoako