Farouk Aliu Mahama (middle) and to his right Ben Abdallah Banda during the activity
The Chairman of the Muslim Caucus in Parliament, Farouk Aliu Mahama, last Friday hosted a well-attended Ramadan programme, “Night of Power” at the foyer of the legislature.
The programme, the 12th so far, was held under the patronage of the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin under the theme “The role of Islamic Finance in Building a Sustainable Economy: The Need for Legislative Review of Banking Laws of Ghana.”
The Night of Power – also known as Laylatul-Qadr – falls within the final ten days of the month of Ramadan. It is significant because it is stated in the scriptures that it is the night when the first verses of the Holy Qur’an were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), as guidance for all of mankind.
The spiritual activity, being an annual one on the calendar of the Muslim Caucus in Parliament, provides a forum for prayers and worship including conversations about issues of national importance.
The host, who is also the MP for the Yendi Constituency, in his speech during the activity reiterated his call for the passage of the Islamic Marriage Bill and the need for cordial relations and peaceful co-existence among adherents of the two largest religious groups in the country.
Currently, Islamic Marriage, or Marriage under the Mohammedan Law have no legal framework to make it legally recognised, and the bill seeks to resolve it, he said.
The MP also called on the Attorney General to speed up the processes for the passage of the bill as he bemoaned challenges associated with the current status. Parliament’s ‘Night of Power’ was instituted 12 years ago by the Muslim Caucus of Parliament to bring Muslims together, during the last 10 days of Ramadan, to deliberate on critical issues towards the development of the country, as well as pray for the country.
Other speakers addressed the theme as they endorsed the call for a legislation to back Islamic marriage in the country.