Embrace free SHS policy- Akufo Addo urges Muslim community
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has made a strong case for Muslims to fully embrace the free senior high school (SHS) policy, as it holds the key to unlocking prosperity.
Advertisement
He said in two weeks’ time he would launch the Free SHS policy, and since education found a place in Islam, he was confident that the Muslim community would give the policy the necessary attention and support it to succeed.
Addressing hundreds of Muslims at the Black Star Square after the Eid-ul-Adha prayers yesterday, the President quoted the Holy Prophet Muhammed: "Knowledge is the lost property of the believer; let him or her find it wherever he or she will."
The Holy Prophet Muhammed, he said, also stated that "one knowledgeable believer is harder on the devil than a 100 ignorant believers".
In that respect, he said, free SHS would be a fulfilment of prophetic admonishment.
President Akufo-Addo said Muslims and members of other religions alike would be in a better position to practise their religion if they were educated.
Benefits
While emphasising the benefits of education, the President said: “It allows us to enlighten our communities and bring illumination to our society. It allows us to guarantee a future for our children and our country.”
Knowledge, he said, held the key to driving any society, but asked: “How do we seek knowledge as a religious duty if we do not have the means to seek it?”
He stated that only an educated population could accelerate the development of the country.
He also made a case for the education of girls to be given priority, saying the Prophet Muhammad had proclaimed that "Paradise lies under the feet of mothers."
“We must take the education of the girl-child seriously. We shall be perpetuating ignorance, poverty and disease if the trainers of generations of Ghanaians remain uneducated,” the President added.
Keep shining
Extolling the peaceful and tolerant nature of Muslims in the country, President Nana Akufo-Addo said one of the many things that Ghana stood proud of was the peace and mutual respect that existed among people of all religious persuasions.
He, therefore, urged Muslims to remain a shining example to the rest of the world of what it meant to be a Muslim.
“In a world where the beautiful religion of Islam has virtually been hijacked by people who pervert its values, every Muslim should make it his or her responsibility to be an example of what it means to be a Muslim,” he said.
{loadmodule mod_banners,Nativead1}
Submissive
He said Eid-ul-Adha was an occasion to remember the sacrifices Prophet Ibrahim made in obedience to the will of God.
Islam, he added, meant peace and submission to the will of God and so it ought to instil a sense of sacrifice that put the interests of others and the nation first into its followers, adding: “That is the meaning of Eid-ul-Adha.”
The President urged Muslims to continue to pray for those who had embarked on the Hajj, hoping that the Almighty Allah would see them through the Hajj rites and bring them back home safely.
“I am delighted to note that this year the Hajj has been largely without problem. My government is committed to maintaining the atmosphere that allows people of all religious persuasions to practise their religion without let or hindrance,” he added.
Contribution
According to the 2010 Population Census, the President stated, Muslims constituted 17 per cent of the population, explaining that 17 per cent, by any standard of measure, was a significant figure.
“Therefore, your contribution to national development is significant, and I am happy to state that many Muslims are making significant contributions to national development and in my government, in particular, where some of the leading figures involved in the transformation agenda are Muslims,” he added.
Chief Imam
The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Usman Nuhu Sharubutu, stressed the significance of the observance of Eid-ul-Adha, saying members of the faith ought to renew their minds during the period and set worthy priorities for their personal advancement and that of the nation.
He reminded Muslims of their commitment to nation-building, stressing that they should be honouring national obligations to serve as examples to others.
He also reminded men and women of the faith to remain constant in their prayers for all those who had embarked on the Hajj this year.
Writer’s email: [email protected]
