The Ghanaian Minaret

Accra: The third National Muslim Conference ended in Accra on Sunday with a call on the Regional Steering Committees to work towards holding regional conferences to provide localised discussion platforms for Muslims across the country.

The regional conferences are also to help members of the regional steering committee formulate region-specific strategies for the design and implementation of programmes and interventions.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Yussif Jajah, the Vice Chairman of the Management Board of the National Muslim Conference, also tasked the committee with providing periodic regional progress reports to ensure transparency, accountability, and deepen collaboration between the management and the regional steering committees.

“This report will detail achievements and challenges and propose solutions to challenges,” he said.

The Member of Parliament for the Ayawaso North Constituency also urged the committee members to, among other things, collaborate with the National Zakat and Sadaqa Trust Fund to fund projects, establish systems for the collection of zakat at the regional level, and establish legal clinics and advocacy committees.

Speaking on behalf of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of Ghana, Alhaji Ben Abdallah Banda, the National Zongo Development Coordinator, expressed gratitude to the Muslim community in Ghana for their contribution to nation-building.

He pledged his commitment to helping resolve the challenges of the Muslim conference, which included office accommodation, transportation, government recognition, and funding, among others.

“Let us work together to implement the recommendations and action plan derived from our discussions. It is through our collective effort that we can create a more inclusive and equitable society for all Ghanaians,” he said.

Sheikh Dr. Amin Bonsu, the Chairman of the Ghana Muslim Mission, who was also the chairman of the occasion, said Muslims in Ghana have no excuse to allow their religious rights and freedoms to be taken away from them, especially when the constitution guarantees those liberties.

“The constitution favours freedom of religion. If we have any problem, it is our own negligence and lack of effort,” he said.

The theme for the third edition of the National Muslim Conference was “Promoting Religious Freedom and Rights in Ghana: The Role of the National Muslim Conference.”

The three-day event brought together Muslim stakeholders to deliberate on the protection of religious minorities, the importance of interfaith dialogues, and strategies to combat discrimination based on religious beliefs.