Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia’s timely intervention secured the Independence Square as venue for the Eid Ul Fitr congregational prayers last Saturday.
The location having been earlier booked for the use of the Deeper Life Church, late request for the use of the place could not be initially obliged.
When the Vice President intervened and as a result of the approval of the Church, the location was made available for the use of Muslims who used it for just a couple of hours or so. It was yet again a display of the harmony existing between Muslims and Christians.
An excited observer of the development, Alhaji Zakaria Sibaway, told Daily Guide “the harmonious relationship between Muslims and their Christian counterparts is worthy of emulation by others outside Ghana. Our Christian brothers readily agreed for the use of the facility in a manner which underscores the harmony between members of the two great Abrahamic faiths.”
The Deeper Life Church, Alhaji Sibaway said, “did not only allow the Muslims to use the location they had booked for but also allowed us to use their PA system, their chairs and lights. We are grateful to them for the show of tolerance and love for interfaith harmony. May God richly bless them.”
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and the National Chief Imam Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu have played a pivotal role in cementing the interfaith harmony between members of the two faiths.
Admiration for Vice President Bawumia and the National Chief Imam cuts across the two faiths, and it continues to soar.
The Eid Ul Fitr celebration in Accra and Kumasi was characterised by pomp and pageantry, members of the various ethnic groups displaying their rich cultures.
The Eid Ul Fitr marks the end of the month-long fasting by Muslims.
Although congregational prayers were said at different locations across the national capital, the Independence Square venue is where the National Chief Imam presides over the prayers and hosts the President or Vice President.
When President Akufo-Addo joined in the celebration of the Chief Imam’s 104th birthday recently, he paid tribute to him for the impact he has made on the nation.
In a Facebook post, the Vice President also wished the National Chief Imam well on his birthday, which fell last Sunday, a day after the Eid Ul Fitr. Even at such advanced age, the cleric still leads congregational prayers which entail standing and kneeling and prostrating.
By A.R. Gomda