WR: Muslims go on demo today over discrimination

Muslims in the Western Region will go on a demonstration today to raise concerns about “discrimination” against them in the country.

Muslim Leaders in the region say they have had enough of the violation of their religious rights.

According to them, Muslim students attending Christian schools, for example, are forced by school authorities to attend church services on Sunday.

They question why Muslim students are not allowed to attend Friday Prayers or gather together to worship just as their Christian colleagues are given the chance to.

Additionally, the Muslim community says its members are discriminated against in state institutions just because they practice Islam.

Ghana is a predominantly Christian country but has a significant Muslim and animist population.

According to the website of the Ghana Mission in the United States, “Traditional religions account for 5.2% of the population."

"The Christian population also accounts for 71.2% of the total population and includes Roman Catholics, Baptist, Protestants, etc.," while "The Muslim population (17.6 percent of the total) is located chiefly in the northern part of the country.”

Political parties are aware of the influence of Muslims in elections and have, therefore, devised various means to capture Muslim votes during national polls.

For instance the two main parties – the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) – have, since the fourth republican constitution started in 1992, been pairing Christian Presidential Candidates with Muslim Running Mates for purposes of religious.