Inter-religious schools, key to building cohesive society

Professor John Azumah, Lecturer at World Christianity and Islam, Columbia Theological Seminary, USA has noted that inter-religious schooling is key to building a cohesive society.

Prof Azumah said it is imperative for Muslim and Christian community leaders to understand and tolerate each other’s religion to maintain the bond of unity devoid of religious conflict.

He said this in Accra at a public lecture on the theme: “Inter-Religious Schooling and Christian-Muslim Relations in Ghana,” organised by the Presbyterian University College, Ghana.

He noted that there is some form of interreligious schooling taking place in many public and mission schools, which helps to bridge religious barriers and prejudices and ensure long term relations.

He emphasised that Christian and Muslim conflicts in Nigeria started in the late 1970s and 1980s amongst students at teacher training colleges and university campuses.

Mr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Senior Lecturer at University of Cape Coast noted that because Christians and Muslims constitute more than half of the world’s population their ability to co-exist peacefully with one another has implications for world peace and security.

He said education is one of the core mandates of missionary organisations that seek to “civilise and Christianise” Ghanaians, but now it is seeking to “build the moral values of students, based on Christian principles.

Mr Abdul-Hamid urged all to cultivate the spirit of knowing about other’s religions and to be tolerant to avoid misconceptions that would lead to chaos.