The National Peace Council has been in the news following the recent Wesley Girls’ impasse with Muslim students who wish to partake in the Ramadan fast despite the school’s resistance.
The Peace Council called on Ghanaians, particularly, those affected by recent events at the Wesley Girls’ High School to exercise “the greatest restraint and circumspection in their comments and pronouncements on the matter.”
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However, the call by the Peace Council has led some Ghanaians to question why the Council was silent on the Achimota-Rastafarian issue and yet has been more vocal in the recent issue involving Wesley Girls and Muslim students.
Addressing this concern, Chairperson of the complaints committee of the National Peace Council, Mrs. Joana Opare told Samuel Eshun: “There are some issues that you don’t need to publicly come out to speak on. Also, just like in the case of Achimota and the Rastafarian students, if it has to do with court case, you just need to sit back and observe. Sometimes you quench the fire at the background without publicly coming out”.
The Chairperson furthered that it would be best if the Achimota issue is not highlighted at a time when the issue of the Muslim students in Wesley Girls’ Senior High School is being dealt with.
Mrs. Joana Opare reiterated that all should remain calm as authorities are working to resolve the issue.
“We have asked people to be calm. We have our strategies. Religious undertones in this matter have particularly made us interested in this matter. And you know such issues can inflame passions and this is happening especially when Muslims are in their fasting period. So, it is very important period for them so we don’t want this issue to escalate”.
Background
The GES had directed the authorities of the Wesley Girls High School and other senior high schools to allow any Muslim student to fast for any religious reason.
The parents of any such student, it said, were also directed to write to the school indicating that the school shall not be held liable for any health condition of the student as a result of the fasting.
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However, the Methodist Church Ghana has rejected this directive by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to allow Muslim students to fast during Ramadan on campus at the Wesley Girls’ High School in Cape Coast.
In a statement, the church said it took a “strong exception” to the directive stressing that it “cannot accede to the unilateral directive issued by the Ghana Education Service.”
It insisted that the Ghana Education Service “respects the long-standing partnership between Government and Mission Schools.”
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah
