The National Chief Imam’s spokesperson, Sheikh Armiyawo Shaibu, has stressed the importance of the Chief Imam’s support to the Christian community.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Sheikh Shaibu said such gestures like the donation of GHS50,000 towards the construction of the National Cathedral, from the Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nunu Sharubutu, were symbolic and geared towards fostering unity between religions.
“The Chief Imam wants to emphasise that religious diversity is upheld in Islam. But it doesn’t stop at diversity. It goes further to establish a basis for dialogue and for authentic engagement across religious divides,” he explained.
He further recalled the significance of the Chief Imam’s 2019 visit to the Christ the King Catholic Church on Easter Sunday.
“That same day that the Chief Imam entered the church, that was the day when Christians were bombed in Sri Lanka.”
“Because our people are not used to it here, that is why I described it as revolutionary,” Sheikh Shaibu added.
The Chief Imam recently faced criticism for his donation to the National Cathedral project.
Harruna Attah, a former diplomat, for example, suggested that there was no benefit in what he called the Chief Imam’s attempts to ensure mass standing within the Christian community.
But Sheikh Shaibu urged observers to treat the Chief Imam’s actions as something that will enrich Islam in Ghana.
“The Chief Imam has brought honour and dignity beyond what you can imagine to Muslims in this country. The Chief Imam [achieved this] by his way of doing things, especially how he accommodates Christians.”
