The Minister for the Interior, Hon. Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, has called on Ghanaians to protect the country’s long-standing Christian-Muslim religious tolerance, warning that peace and national security should never be taken for granted.
Speaking during an engagement with Christian and Muslim religious leaders in Accra, the Interior Minister described Ghana’s culture of religious harmony and peaceful coexistence as a key foundation of the country’s stability.
He stressed the need to preserve and strengthen the relationship between Ghana’s Christian and Muslim communities, particularly following a recent altercation involving a pastor and an imam that generated widespread public concern.
Hon. Muntaka praised the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the National Chief Imam and Christian religious leaders for their prompt response, maturity and efforts to prevent the incident from escalating.
According to the Minister, the coordinated response demonstrated the importance of strong leadership, religious tolerance and dialogue in maintaining peace in Ghana.
He said the incident should reinforce the need for religious leaders, security agencies and other stakeholders to work together to protect Ghana’s reputation as a peaceful and religiously tolerant country.
The Interior Minister also assured religious leaders and the general public that the Ministry of the Interior and Ghana’s security agencies will remain neutral when dealing with matters involving individuals or religious groups.
He emphasised that criminal acts would be treated strictly as crimes, regardless of the religious background of those involved.
“Crime will be treated as crime and we will deal with perpetrators in accordance with the law, without fear or favour, to ensure that no one uses religion to undermine our peace.”
Hon. Muntaka explained that the meeting was organised to appreciate the religious leaders for their timely intervention, reaffirm the neutrality of the security agencies and gather their views on strengthening religious tolerance, national unity and peaceful coexistence.
He further encouraged religious leaders to continue playing a leading role in promoting peace and preventing tensions within communities.
“Our diversity is our strength. Let us guard it jealously so that Ghana remains a beacon of peace in the region,” he said.
The religious leaders welcomed the Interior Minister’s continued engagement with faith-based organisations, stressing that regular dialogue among stakeholders is essential to maintaining peace, security and stability in Ghana.
In response to concerns raised during the engagement, Hon. Muntaka assured participants that the issues would receive attention. He also confirmed that the National Peace Council would continue its efforts to promote peaceful coexistence and strengthen social cohesion across the country.
Source: newsthemegh.com