Muslims parents urged to uplift the image of Islam

Bolgatanga, June 26, GNA - Mr Rockson Ayine Bukari, the Upper East Regional Minister has urged Muslim parents to offer formal education to their children, and inculcate into them the virtues of Islam to uplift the religion.

The Minister observed that Muslim settlements and the local communities in northern Ghana lagged behind in education, sanitation and were engulfed in poverty, which negatively affected the fortunes of children and the youth.

'I challenge Muslim parents, our Islamic scholars and philanthropists to do your best in educating the masses of our youth in order to uplift the image of Islam and the Muslim in particular.' He said.

Mr Bukari gave the advice when he joined Muslims in Bolgatanga who defied early morning down pour and trooped to the Regional Central Mosque to observe Eid-Ul-Fitr, a festival that marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

He said government was committed to providing quality education to all Ghanaians, adding that 'we must take advantage of these opportunities to send our children to school, especially the girl child.'

He noted that the State and religious institutions were development partners, and said government was committed to providing an enabling environment for them to operate.

Mr Bukari reiterated President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's promise to establish a Zongo Development Fund to alleviate the plight of the citizens in Zongo communities, and entreated them to ensure that the real people benefited from this fund, by being vigilant to prevent those who were not supposed to benefit from the intervention from hijacking it.

The Regional Minister hinted that there would be free seeds, some of which had started coming into the region, while fertilizer prices had also reduced by 50 per cent, 'let us all be vigilant to ensure that these fertilizers are not smuggled out by providing the necessary information to the police.' He advised.

Mr Bukari further urged the congregation to take advantage of government's interventions such as fertilizer subsidy, planting for food and jobs, to improve their economic condition.

He called on Muslims, especially the youth to live above reproach and refrain from acts that had the tendency of tarnishing the image of Islam, 'the religion that places very high premium on peace and harmonious co-existence'.

Sheikh Yusif Adam, the Upper East Regional Chief Imam, thanked Allah for seeing Muslims through the 30-day fasting, and prayed for abundant blessings for the sacrifices made throughout the period.

He thanked government for maintaining the peace in the region, and called on it to fulfill its promises to Muslim communities, while admonishing the youth to celebrate the Eid in modesty.

GNA