Churches are the biggest problem when it comes to education on terrorism – Security Analyst

The Dean of Academic Affairs at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), Dr. Vladimir Antwi-Danso says, churches in Ghana are the ‘biggest problem’ when it comes to education on deradicalization of terrorism.

According to him, most churches in Ghana have turned a blind eye on educating their congregants on terrorism.

“The churches are the biggest problem in Ghana when it comes to education on terrorism because they are making people not know their world around them, everything is about God and miracles. Please can we turn those miracles into making the people conscious and aware about their surroundings so they are prepared?” he quizzed.

Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso told JoyNews that Ghana as a whole needs to strongly mainstream terrorism discourse in schools, churches, communities and the general public.

“There must be a proper indication of the country being aware of terrorism, especially why and how terrorism is festering and these things are the awareness we don’t have. No part of the world is safe from terrorists, even the bigger countries themselves know this,” he cautioned.

Antwi-Danso advised that following the recent U.S-Iran tensions, Ghana must stand with the United Nations multilateral organisations it belongs to and vote accordingly on policies that will bring peace to the world.

Recently, both the U.S and Iran have been issuing threats of attack following the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force, by the U.S in an airstrike.

Iran, a military power house in the Middle East, has vowed to “harshly” avenge the death of Soleimani, 62, who was considered the second most powerful figure in Iran after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The late Soleimani’s successor, General Esmail Ghaani told Iranian state TV on that “God the Almighty has promised to take martyr Soleimani’s revenge. Certainly, actions will be taken.”