Your marriage certificates are not recognised – Interior minister tells Imams
Accra: Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, the Minister for the Interior, has urged the Muslim leadership to take the necessary steps to ensure that qualified Imams are registered and licensed to officiate marriage ceremonies.
He said that marriage certificates issued by Muslim clerics to Muslim couples are not valid, as the law required marriage officiating Imams to be licensed by the Ministry of the Interior for such marriages to be recognised by the state.
“According to the laws of our lands, the state does not recognise us as people with wives…You may not know how serious the matter is until you go to court” he said, indicating that no Imam or Muslim cleric has been licensed for such purpose.
He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the Conference of Regional Chief Imams and Islamic Clerics.
According to section 21(1) of the Marriages Act, 1884-1985, Cap. 127, the Minister for the Interior may grant a licence to a Mohammedan (Muslim) priest who applies for it and, in the opinion of the Minister, is a fit and proper person to perform the functions imposed on licensed priests.
“(2) The Minister responsible for the Interior may at any time revoke or suspend that licence,” the law indicates.
The Asawase member of parliament said that despite being in office for two years, he was yet to be approached by Muslim leaders interested in addressing the anomaly.
He has therefore urged them to organise themselves and take the necessary steps to resolve the issue while he is in office.
Alhaji Mubarak called on Muslim parents to prioritise the Islamic education of their wards.
He observed that more Muslims are prioritising secular education over Islamic education, a situation he said does not augur well for the future of Islam in Ghana.
He urged parents to ensure that their children acquired both secular and Islamic education to equip them with the knowledge and values needed to contribute meaningfully to society while maintaining their religious identity.
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