Muslim organisations caution Preachers

Accra, March 24, GNA - Coalition of Muslim Organisations, Ghana (COM= OG) has cautioned preachers to be careful, circumspect, well-informed and properly educated about other religions, especially Islam, and demonstrat= e wisdom while talking or preaching about great leaders like Holy Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). It said that would be in their interest, and more importantly, in th= e interest of peace in the country.

These were contained in a statement COMOG issued and copied to the GN= A, in connection with what they described as "false and offensive claims abo= ut the Holy Prophet, Mohammed" made by Dr Bishop Agyin-Asare of Word Miracle=

Church. The statement said: "COMOG remains firm in its unshakeable resolve a= nd commitment to the defence and protection of the cause of Islam and the interest of Muslims and the nation". COMOG said "with the crisis in Jos, Nigeria, still fresh in everybod= y's mind, Dr Bishop Agyin-Asare should refrain from making such serious, sensitive and false claims capable on undermining the peace of the countr= y.

The statement alleged that on Sunday 7th March 2010, Dr Bishop Agyin-Asare in a television programme on TV 3, "publicly blasphemed again= st the religion of Isalam by claiming that; "And he Mohammed, before he will=

get. anytime before he will get inspiration, he will get epileptic seizur= e; yes that is in the Qur-aan".

The statement said on Friday 12th March, 2010 at the Abossey Okai Central Mosque in Accra during the Muslim section of the National Prayer Week, the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr Osumanu Nuhu Sharubutu, announce= d publicly that he had received a letter from Dr Bishop Agyin-Asare apologizing for any offence caused the Muslim Community. It said since the National Chief Imam had accepted the apology and in deference to him, COMOG "is in full support of the decision and timely intervention of His Eminence in this rather sensitive matter". However, COMOG said in view of the volume and persistence of calls f= rom concerned Muslims, it had become necessary for it to emphasise "that the Holy Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) never suffered from 'epileptic seizure' throughout his life contrary to the claim by Dr Bishop Agyin-Asare.

"What is known to Muslims, objective scholars and historians is tha= t the Holy Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) received his revelations from Almighty Allah in a state of trance and not epilepsy. The difference is clear; whi= lst epileptic seizure is a serious disease in which the patient foams in the mouth, kicks his legs about and loses consciousness, a trance is a condit= ion of the mind in which one appears unconscious of what happens around him." COMOG said "trance is not a disease, and the Holy Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) has never been reported to have foamed in the mouth nor kicked his=

legs about before he received any revelation from the Almighty Allah; and=

more importantly, nowhere in the Holy Qur-aan has the Bishop's claim been=

mentioned". COMOG said but for the timely intervention of the National Chief Ima= m, it would have joined other Muslims to demand strict proof of Dr Bishop Agyin-Asare's claim of having healed an 18-year old Muslim epileptic pati= ent in Tamale. Meanwhile, Bishop Hansel Adjei Frimpong, General Secretary of Word Miracle Church International, has told the Ghana News Agency that Dr Bish= op Agyin-Asare had indeed sent a letter of apology to the National Chief Ima= m.