Muslim students petition Otumfuo

Members of the Ghana Muslims Students Association(GMSA), of the Kumasi Campus of the University of Education-Winneba, have petitioned the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to intervene in a land dispute between the association and the Apatrapa Community.

The community is said to be interfering in the construction of Mosque on campus.

Alhaji Bashiru Zakari, a journalist and spokesperson of the student group, said that upon request, the school management allocated a piece of land to the students for the construction of a mosque on campus.

He said the said parcel of land happened to be the borders of the school and the Apatrapa community.

Alhaji Zakari said when construction of the mosque began, members of the community prevailed on the school management to relocate the project because activities of Muslims would be a nuisance to the community and possibly end up in communal violence.

He said even though the (GMSA) and the management of the school had proposed signing a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the construction of the mosque, the school authorities seem to be yielding to the pressure by the community.

According to Alhaji Zakari, the opposers of the mosque project claim since there is no Mosque at Apatrapa, the Muslim population in the community would rise on completion.

Alhaji Zakari indicated that the school management seems to be influenced by the chief of Apatrapa and some influencing persons in the community citing anticipated violence by the Muslims.

But the students group say the conduct of the chief of Apatrapa, who is spearheading the opposition is unfair and socially unjust, adding that the move is against their right and freedom of religion.

Alhaji Zakari described said the position of the Apatrapa community against the construction of the Mosque as anti Islamic and discriminatory since the Catholics have also been allocated a piece of land for the construction of a Church close to the proposed Mosque, and yet it has not been questioned.

The Muslim spokesman says the stance of the chief, the community and the pathetic attitude of the school management who owns the allocated land in question is unwarranted and has called on Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to intervene for an amicable resolution of the impasse in the name of peace.