Cape Coast Muslims mark Eid-ul-Adha

Cape Coast, Dec. 19, GNA - The Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, on Wednesday appealed to Muslims not to allow themselves to be used by unscrupulous people to perpetrate trouble in the society. Nana Arthur said this when he joined hundreds of Orthodox Muslims at the Holy Child prayer grounds to mark Eid-Ul-Adha, festival of sacrifice, at Cape Coast.

He said the time had come for Muslims to stand-up to the challenges of the 21st century and not to engage in acts that would bring trouble and disunity, especially in Zongo communities.

Nana Arthur urged them to take advantage of the numerous interventions the government had put in the education sector such as the capitation grant, school feeding programme and the new education reforms and send their children, particularly girls, to school. He also enumerated the benefits of the National Health Insurance Scheme and urged those who have not yet registered with the scheme to do so.

In his sermon Sheikh Abubakari Hassan, regional Imam, appealed to the government to take over the organisation of Hajj, to help stem the ordeal Muslims pilgrims go through each year. He said pragmatic programmes should be put in place to ensure smooth Hajj, stressing that it was disheartening to see Muslims pilgrims go through such hard times before they move to Mecca. Sheik Hassan also called on the government to support the English Arabic schools in the country and help establish a school of Islamic studies in the region.

He prayed for the nation and its leaders as well as for peace and unity in war torn countries and in Ghana. At the cape Coast Technical Institute, Ameer of the Abura circuit of the Ahmadiyya Muslims, Alhaji Yakubu Zakaria told Muslims to use the sacrifice of Abraham as a landmark in whatever they do and endeavour to be each other's keeper.

He also advised them to be law abiding and refrain from all vices that would tarnish the image of the Ahmadiyya and to send their children to schools. The regional minister presented a bull and GH50.00 each to Orthodox and Ahmadiyya.