Bishop Sarfo Yinkah Accused Of Violating Freedom Of Worship


The Ejuraman Anglican Senior High School GMSA group and the Muslim inhabitants in Ejura have indicted head of Anglican Churches in Ghana Rt. Reverend Daniel Sarfo Yinkah of frustrating and confusing Muslim students in the school in an attempt to completely halt Islamic practices and activities in the school.

The students blamed the Bishop and the headmaster of being puritanical and harsh on Islam practice in the school.

There have been several reports of abuses and harassment of Muslim students by the headmaster Mr. Gove A. Hulede who is a member of the Anglican church and has headed the school since 2008.

Among the harassment is a second year General Arts student(name withheld) is still unbalanced due to force exerted on her by authorities to act against her moral will. She told this reporter that, she was made to revert to Christianity after being converted to Islam. Again, muslim students are constraint to neglect the Zuhr and Asir prayers and only offered them when they are away from the school, muslim teachers are also suppressed and completely without authority, the reporter learned.

Bishop Sarfo claimed acts have caused violent social and religious upheaval in the school forcing Muslim inhabitants to at a point plan an attack on the authorities but was timely intervened by some religious seminal heads in the community.

The long standing popular controversy was sparked by attempt to build a mosque in the school by some Arabs philanthropists after a brouhaha over the approval of a land.

Upon much entreaties, School authorities agreed but only to scurry back after the building has reached its peak to indefinitely suspend the building claiming the move is to stop propagation of Islam in the school.

Speaking with past GMSA executives, they questioned the authority of the Anglican church and charged government to explain the seemingly overwhelming control of the church over the school since all documents from the Ghana Education Service(GES) or Ministry of Education does not recognize the Anglicans.

They argued that, the Anglicans contacts with the school has caused a lot of harm than good and implored government to intervene.

“Since 2004 the Anglican came, the only thing they can boast of is the school sign post, and even if that, they wanted the name ‘Anglican’ to reflect, meanwhile every year each student pays Gh30 as a contribution to the Anglican church.”

Mr. Edward Awiagah assistant headmaster in-charge of academics who spoke on behalf of the headmaster and Rev. Sarfo expressed shock and worry about the matter.

However, he justified that, authorities suspended the building of the mosque because the GMSA group and their leaders had refused to go by a decision that was agreed to at a meeting with Rev. Daniel Sarfo Yinkah, chairman of the Board of Governors. He revealed that, in the said meeting, it was mutually agreed that, a pavilion should be put up to prevent the congregation from sun scorch and rains.

He said, the Bishop couldn’t afford to act contrary to the conventions of the Anglican church but he was quick to add that, plans are far advanced to solve the quagmire. He described the situation as unfortunate.

The morass has left some students thinking of leaving the school.

About 70% of the entire student population are Muslims.

Comments:
This article has 0 comment, leave your comment.