Members of the Ghana Muslims Students Association(GMSA), of the Kumasi Campus of the University of Education-Winneba, have petitioned the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to intervene in a land dispute between the association and the Apatrapa Community.
The community is said to be interfering in the construction of Mosque on campus.
Alhaji Bashiru Zakari, a journalist and spokesperson of the student
group said that upon request, the school management allocated a
piece of land to the students for the construction of mosque on campus.
He said the said parcel of land happened to be the borders of the
school and the Apatrapa community.
Alhaji Zakari said when construction of the mosque began ,
members of the community prevailed on the school management to
relocate the project because activities of Muslims would be a
nuisance to the community and possibly end up in communal
violence.
He said even though the (GMSA) and the management of the
school had proposed signing a Memorandum of Understanding regarding
the construction of the mosque the school authority seems to be
yielding to the pressure by the community.
According to Alhaji Zakari, the opposers of the mosque project claim
since there is no Mosque at Apatrapa, Muslims population in the
community would rise on completion.
Alhaji Zakari indicated that the school management seems to be
influenced by the chief of Apatrapa and some Influencing persons
in the community citing anticipated violence by the Muslims.
But the students group say the conduct of the chief of Apatrapa
who is spearheading the opposition is unfair and social injustice
adding that the move is against their right and freedom of
religion.
Alhaji Zakari described said the position of the Apatrapa
community against the construction of the Mosque as anti Islamic
and discriminatory since the Catholics have also been allocated a
piece of land for the construction of a Church house close to
the proposed Mosque and yet it has not been questioned.
The Muslim spokesman says the stance of the chief, the community
and pathetic attitude of the school management who owns the
allocated land in question is unwarranted and has called on Otumfuo
Osei Tutu II, to intervene for the amicable resolution of the impasse in the name of peace.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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