Upper West Muslims want immediate release of Muslim corpses

Wa, Oct. 1, GNA - The Muslim community in the Upper West Region has appealed to the government to exempt Muslim corpses from being sent to hospital mortuaries.

The Muslims said the practice of depositing their corpses at the mortuaries was against Islamic practices and very cumbersome for them to follow. Alhaji Yakubu Issahaku, the Regional Chief Imam said this when they called on Mr George Hikah Benson, the Regional Minister after the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers on Wednesday.

The prayers marked the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, which the orthodox Muslim community in Wa celebrated on Wednesday. Alhaji Issahaku called for extension of the contact time for the teaching of Arabic in English/Arabic Schools and make it examinable at the Basic Education Examination Certificate level. The Muslim community expressed their condolences to the President and the Government for the loss of Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning who died in South Africa last week. The Regional Minister urged Muslims to offer special prayers for peace during the next elections. Mr Benson urged them to avoid violence and confusion during the period, describing peace as priceless whose absence could undermine development.