Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu
The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has asked agitated persons in the Islamic communities across the country not to be provoked by unsavoury remarks from the Prang cleric Abu Fail Abdullahi Maikano.
He said allowing such remarks to provoke them into doing things which can disturb public peace does not inure to the interest of the country, adding that “after all, Islam is a faith of peace.”
Speaking to DAILY GUIDE in an exclusive interview on Wednesday, it was clear that the nonagenarian was acting to restore order in sections of the Islamic communities where tension has been high following the remark by the Prang cleric that he does not recognize the position of National Chief Imam.
There have been a number of security breaches in some parts of Accra when youth supporters of the Chief Imam reacted angrily to the challenge originating from the Prang cleric.
The Chief Imam said “peace is earned and it behoves all of us to do things which strengthen it and not disturb it. Without peace, we would be unable to perform our daily chores such as worshipping God our Maker and even looking for our daily bread.”
He said he would not allow the remarks of others to disrupt his programmes but would rather focus on what his Maker, the Almighty God, has entrusted to him, adding that “those who disturb the peace of the country should be shunned because this attribute is so precious that all must work towards preserving it at all costs.”
“ . . .The law enforcement agents should be on top of their jobs by ensuring that nobody reverses our current status of a peaceful nation – the envy of others,” he stressed.
He indicated that he had always prayed for peace in the country and for its restoration in troubled parts of the world.
“Let us all respect constituted authority because we as Muslims are enjoined to do so by the scriptures,” he pleaded.
Those whose utterances have the potential to inflame passions and therefore disturb public peace must be reported to the law enforcement agencies for the necessary action to be taken against them, he said.
“The peace in the country should not be taken for granted and so nobody should be allowed to rock the boat. The maintenance of peace will continue to be my hallmark,” he asserted.
By A.R. Gomda