Regional News of Tuesday, 14 December 2004
Source: GNA
Accra, Dec.14 GNA - Imam Yahya Hindi, an Islamic Scholar from the United States, on Tuesday said people who resorted to extremism and terrorism did not understand the virtues of the Islamic religion, which was peace and harmony.
He said this when he paid a courtesy call on the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu at his residence in Accra to strengthen the relationship between Muslims in the two countries. Imam Hindi, who is also a Member of the Judiciary Council of Shariah Scholars Association of North America, would be in the country for a week.
He is expected to lead the Friday prayers at the Al-Aziz Mosque at Burma Camp as well as appear on GTV Breakfast show and Aqeedah, an Islamic weekly talk show.
He called on Muslims to use dialogue as their main bargaining chip rather than taking the laws into their own hands. He said poverty; militarism and racism were the three main enemies of the world that divided the people.
Imam Hindi called for the empowerment of the Muslim women and girls for total development of their communities. Sheikh Yahya Ameen, National Co-ordinator of the Office of the National Chief Imam, in response thanked Imam Hindi and expressed the hope that the visit would consolidate the bond between the peoples in the two countries.
He said Muslims should be able to present a better image to the world and fight poverty and HIV/AIDS rather than indulging in violence which had become a stereotype against them.
Earlier, Imam Hindi called on Sheikh Umar Ibrahim, Director of the Islamic Research Centre, where they discussed the promotion of the Islamic religion in the country.