Don't associate Islam with terrorism-Chief Ibrahim

Kumasi, Nov 11, GNA - Chief Ahmed Ibrahim, President of the Council of Zongo Chiefs, has asked the public to disabuse their minds of the erroneous notion that Islam was associated with terrorism. He said there was nowhere in the Holy Quran which stated that a Muslim could kill another person on religious or social differences. Chief Ibrahim was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi at the weekend on the negative effects of terrorism on Islam after an IFTAAR Dinner hosted by the Asokwa Youth for Education and Development sponsored by the United States of America Embassy in Ghana. He said Islam professed peace and unity and wondered why a committed Muslim should take a gun or knife with the intention of killing other people whom belonged to other religions.

He said the Holy Quran teaches all to be one and warned that anyone who would kill his fellow human being in the name of Allah would be punished.

Chief Ibrahim, who is also the Wangara chief in Kumasi, said it was equally wrong to associate any person who speaks and reads Arabic as a Muslim since Arabic as a language is studied like any other language in the world.

He advised Muslims, especially the youth not to associate themselves with a person or group of persons who would want to disturb the peace being enjoyed by Ghanaians.

Chief Ibrahim urged all Muslims not to allow politicians to use them as instruments of conflict before, during and after the 2004 Election.

He also asked Muslim leaders not to influence their followers to vote for a particular political party but to allow them to freely exercise their franchise.

He reminded Ghanaian that they had no other country to escape to in case of any crisis and called for peaceful elections.