Let's maintain peaceful coexistence - Captain Mohammed Alhassan urges

Captain Mohammed Alhassan, Acting Chief Imam of the Ghana Armed Forces has asked Ghanaians to cherish peaceful coexistence for national development.

He said Ghanaians, especially the youth must desist from acts that had the tendency to engender conflict, misunderstanding and plunge the country into a state of unrest.

Delivering a sermon at Burma Camp in Accra on Thursday to mark this year's Eid-ul-Fitr, the Acting Chief Imam, said with many countries grappling with the effects of decades of war, it was imperative that Ghanaians acted in ways that would not disturb the peace of the country currently enjoyed.

“Tranquility is essential for every individual, family, community, district, region, country and the entire world. Tranquillity and cooperation can surely engender development. Let us all work assiduously for peace and tranquillity in all facets of our lives whether at home, in marriage, workplace and at our places of worship.

“Let us avoid things that will divide us especially the youth, and maintain peaceful coexistence. Let us cherish the peace and avoid things that will engender conflict, misunderstanding and unrest,” he said.

Captain Alhassan noted that: “In 2019, about 732,000 new displacements were recorded, 718,000 associated with disasters, posing additional challenges for the new Democratic Republic of Congo government, a case of post-war struggles continuing unabated.

"About 380,000 people are reported to have been killed and more than two million have also been forced to flee their homes since civil war broke out in 2013 in Sudan."

The Chief Imam said Ghanaians must, therefore, learn lessons from such tragedies and ensure that peaceful coexistence was not comprised and entreated Ghanaians to demonstrate a spirit of good patriotism in all endeavours to promote development.

The ocassion was attended by hundreds of Muslim clad in different shades of apparel and the event was held under COVID-19 safety protocols except that the large numbers did not make room for social distancing.

Eid-ul-Fitr is an important religious festival celebrated by Muslims worldwide to mark the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

The Chief Imam said Muslims must continue to uphold the spirit of righteousness to ensure that achievements and virtues obtained from the month of Ramadan were not eroded and urged them to repent and amend their ways to conform to the teachings of Islam to attain Allah’s blessing, and love one another, protect their property and eschew envy.

Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), admonished Muslims in the security services to continue to adhere to lessons from the Ramadan fast and eschew negative tendencies, uphold love and respect for one another in the spirit of compassion, empathy and caregiving and maintain a professional posture to foster peace and promote development.