Muslims in Bawku pray together

Bawku, Nov 17, GNA - Muslims in Bawku, irrespective of ethnicity, came together on Tuesday to say the Eid-Ul-Adha prayers at the central mosque. The men stood side by side while the women converged together at the section allotted to them for the prayers after which they all moved out to greet and wish each other happy celebrations of the Eid-Ul-Adha, a festival of thanksgiving and sacrifice for Muslims. Speaking after the prayers the Bawku Chief Imam, Mallam Mutala Mohammed, called on the people to reflect on the essence of the celebration, which is sacrifice, and take note of the sacrifices they could in turn make in order to foster unity among the people and maintain peace in the area. Mallam Mohammed advised the youth to seek counsel from their parents and elders in their communities on issues that border on the interest of all the people before taking any action.

Alhaji Ibrahim Kolbilla, co-chairman of the Inter-Ethnic Peace Committee (BIEPC), thanked God for bringing peace back to Bawku. He said people of Bawku had used the festival to prove beyond reasonable doubt that peace had returned to area. He appealed to the political leaders to help promote peace in the area and stop instigating the youth to fight.

The co-chairman of BIEPC, Mr. Thomas Abilla, called on the youth to refrain from negative attitudes and focus on their future and that of Bawku. .. Mr Abilla commended the people of the area for the maturity they had shown during the period of peace and expressed the hope that the people would continue to live in peace.

Mr. Imoro Salifu Sadik, an opinion leader in the area, said the festival had been one of the best in Bawku and commended the youth in the area for focusing on attaining a lasting peace for the area. Mr Sadik appealed to the youth of Bawku to concentrate on self development and that of the area and forget about people who would want to use them for personal gains. The town was calm and Muslims dressed in white went about visiting friends and relatives.