Critics of Chief Imam’s historic church visit ignorant – Amaliba

There was an overwhelming reaction, predominantly commendations, from the Ghanaian public, especially on social media, when the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, on Easter Sunday joined the congregation of Christ the King Catholic Church in Accra for service.

However, there were others who did not see it appropriate for the Islamic leader to have gone into service with another religious group.

But a member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) legal team, Abraham Amaliba, has shot down any insinuations that the Chief Imam’s act smacks of any impropriety.

For him, those who hold such views may have hatched them out of ignorance.

“When I heard people criticizing him… you know some people made comments to the effect that as a Muslim cleric, he should not have done that, I thought that these are people who were speaking from an ignorant point of view”, he said on TV3’s New Day on Tuesday.

According to the legal practitioner, the Chief Imam is a symbol of peace and that it does not come as a surprise to him that he joined Catholics for service. He noted that Catholics and Muslims are naturally allies.

“I wasn’t surprised that he chose the catholic church”, he said.

“This Chief Imam is naturally a man of peace, he exudes it”, he added.

Mr. Amaliba described Sheikh Sharubutu’s visit as a symbolic feat which he said was equally recognised and commended internationally through foreign media reportage.

He believes the act is timely, considering that some parts of the world are still battling with gruesome experiences of religious insurgences and intolerance.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Sharubutu marks his 100th birthday today April 23 and felicitations have since been pouring in, in his honour.