By Edmund Quaynor, GNA
Koforidua, Oct. 30, GNA - The Chief Imam of Nsukwao, near Koforidua, Imam Musah Darko has said organisations such as Boko Haram, ISIS, Al Shabaab and others fighting for territories to rule, are political groupings and not Islamic religious institutions.
He called on the international community to clearly differentiate between religious and political institutions.
Imam Darko explained that religious institutions evangelise, preach and teach to win people and do not go about killing and fighting for territories to rule.
Imam Darko was speaking at a religious symposium organized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in collaboration with the East Ghana Conference of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church and the office of the Eastern Regional Chief Imam at Koforidua.
The symposium was organized under the theme, the role of religion in nation building.
Imam Darko said Islam was a peaceful religion and was against violence, killing and cheating.
Mr Isaac Apau-Gyesi, the Municipal Chief Executive of New Juaben South acknowledged the contribution of religious institutions in the country to the development of the country in education, health and creation of employment.
He however expressed regret that in recent times, some people have turned to using religion to cheat others and urged the various religious organizations to rise up to the occasion to help check the cheats among them.
Mr Appau-Gyesi use the occasion to appeal to the gathering to support the December 17 referendum so that the country could amend the local government law to make it more effective.
Dr Samuel Bonya Arloo, President of the Eastern Conference of the SDA Church called for the ban of witch camps in the country.
He explained that though the laws of the country guarantee freedom of worship, it does not promote absolute freedom and so there was the need for tolerance and accommodation of each other.
Mr Justice Kwame Obeng, President of Koforidua State of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, said what was important was to recognize all people as children of God.
He explained that if everybody see the other as a child of God, then religious beliefs would not be able to divide the people.
Mr Obeng said religion cannot be excluded from governance because if religion was excluded, that meant that God had been excluded and with that the state would fail.
Earlier in a welcoming address, Dr Osei Agyemang Bonsu, Director of Public Affairs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, said it was the belief of the Church that if different religious organizations work together, they could understand each other and help promote the religious tolerance required for nation building.
GNA
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