Change schools for your wards prevented from fasting - Chief Imam advises

The Ashanti Regional Chief Imam, Sheikh Abdul Mumin Haroun has advised the Muslim Parents in the country to consider the option of withdrawing their children from schools that prevent them from fasting in this Holy month of Ramadan, MyNewsGh.com reports.

Speaking in a live interview with Kwame Adinkrah on Kumasi-based Pure FM telecasted on OneHD Tv and monitored by MyNewsGh.com, the Chief Imam explained that fasting is a requirement in their religious practices and cannot be prevented by anyone on the basis of a parochial interest without a superior reason.

He described further as unfortunate in the case of the Wesley Girls Senior High School (SHS) where one Muslim student, Bushira Ishmael was given an option by the school to either forfeit her fasting or admission status and rather demanded that the school revises its decision and allow the student to fast as required by her religious beliefs and practices.

“Kwame, fasting in Islam is a requirement and no one can stop you from doing that. The School in their decision erred in preventing her from fasting and I will pray to them to revise their decision since it isn’t late yet.

However, I will urge my people that they should find another school for their children if they’re prevented from fasting in specific schools.” Sheikh Abdul Mumin Haroun stated on Pure FM.

Meanwhile, the Methodist Church of Ghana has rejected a directive by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to allow Muslim students at the Wesley Girls’ Senior High School to fast during Ramadan.

The GES directive followed a decision by the Headmistress of Wesley Girls’ High School denying Muslim students at the school from fasting in the ongoing Ramadan.

The Church in a statement asked the School not to follow through with the GES directive insisting that no Muslim student should be allowed to fast during Ramadan.

“The school rule in question is a long-standing one that is also non-religious and various renowned Muslim ladies in Ghana have passed through the school adhering to such a rule. The policies of the School over the 186 years of its existence have resulted in Wesley Girls High School being the school of Choice, Excellence and Achievement and the Church remain in full support of these policies.

“The Methodist Church Ghana cannot accede to the unilateral directive issued by the Ghana Education Service and insists that the Ghana Education Service respects the long-standing partnership between the Government and the Mission schools.”