Al Sunni Muslim sect gets new leader

Tamale, June 23, GNA - The leadership of the Anbariyy Islamic Institute in Tamale has unanimously elected Sheikh Saeed Abubakr Zakaria as the spiritual leader of the Al Sunni Muslims in the country. Sheikh Zakaria succeeds his late father Sheikh Yussif Sualih Ajura (Afa Ajura) who founded the Al Sunni Muslim Sect and was the spiritual leader and guardian of the Anbariyya Muslim community. He died in December 2004.

Addressing faithful after his outdooring, Sheikh Zakaria, who now goes with the spiritual name Afa Seidu, called for unity and understanding among Muslims to win more souls for Allah. He said Allah in his wisdom created mankind to love one another to promote peace and urged all Muslim brethren to see themselves as one people with a common destiny to promote lasting peace in the country. Sheikh Zakaria gave the assurance that he would work tirelessly to promote unity in the Al Sunni family and that he would continue with the development agenda that his late father had initiated. He called on all to cooperate with him to ensure that what was due "The Muslim brethren" was achieved.

Alhaji Issah Moodoo, a Muslim elder, who chaired the function advised Sheikh Zakaria to live above reproach to sustain the unity within their ranks. "Always try to make consultations and take decisions that would be in the interest of the congregation but not at the expense of Islamic tenets," he said. Sheikh Zakaria is one of the pioneers of the Anbariyya Islamic Institute established in 1950 by the late Afa Ajura to give Islamic education to Muslim children. At the moment, the Institute combines Islamic and secular education and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) had provided funding to construct a two-storey classroom block to facilitate teaching and learning.