Ahmadis call for more religious tolerance among Ghanaians

Cape Coast, April 13, GNA - The Ahmadiyya Muslim Movement (AMM), has urged Ghanaians to go the extra mile to strengthen the religious tolerance in the country, to sustain peace and facilitate the development of the country.

According to the Movement, peace was an essential commodity which could only be attained in a transformed tolerant society.

Mr. Sadique Bin Usman, the President of the Ahmadiyya Youth Wing (Khuddam-Ul Ahmadiyya) in the Central-West Region made the call at the First Annual Regional Rally held in Cape Coast.

He said Ghana does not belong to one particular religious group, and therefore Ghanaians must learn to co-exist with others of different faith in other religions.

Mr Usman observed that many Ghanaians,   especially politicians and religious leaders,   preached peace but their actions did not reflect what they preached,   and added that they had not fully understood the relevance of religious tolerance to build a peaceful nation.

The celebration which was on the theme: 'Religious Tolerance: A Prerequisite for a Peaceful Nation,' brought together hundreds of Ahmadi youths, including many believers from different religious groups.

He said Islamic teachings as expounded in the Holy Qur'an repeatedly mentioned the rights and freedoms of non-Muslims, and admonished Muslims to live by those beautiful teachings of Islam, and desist from forcing others into the religion.

Mr. Mohammed Hussein Acquah, the Muhtamin Tabligh (in charge of preaching) who delivered the keynote address, cautioned Ghanaians not to allow trivial religious issues to erode the peace that exist in the country.

He said for the efforts of world leaders including religious group leaders frantically searching for peace to be accomplished, there was the need to understand and accept the faiths of other religions without derogatory remarks about them.

He indicated that inter-religious peace and harmony was very paramount to Islam Ahmadiyyat with its former supreme head delivering a lot of lectures pertaining to religious tolerance and world peace.

Mr Abdul Noor Wahab, the President of the Ahmadiyya Youth Wing in Ghana, advised the youth to endeavour to learn more about other religious groups, to have an understanding of how they worship, so as to live peacefully with them.

He asked all Muslims to continue to pray fervently for the country, as it was going through difficult moments.

GNA