Gakli (VR), July 21, GNA – Leaders of Muslim faithful at Gakli, a predominant Muslim community in the Ketu South Municipality have held Tuesday’s Eid al-Adha prayers at three different locations.
This followed a directive from the Aflao Police Command barring anyone from stepping on the popular park in the area used for such purposes in the past.
A visit by the Ghana News Agency to the park which would have ordinarily hosted all faithful for the Eid prayers under one Imam had no one insight but heavy police presence.
Supt Bempah Sarpong, the Aflao Police Commander explained the move was to forestall any clash between two factions each of whom wanted to use the location for the prayers.
He said Gakli which had just one Muslim chief in the past, currently has two after a section of the community failed to recognise the first one as their chief leading to the enskinment of the second.
Supt Sarpong said consequently, the community now has two imams as each chief must have his imam noting, the old imam decided to go with the newly enskinned Muslim chief while the old chief got a new imam.
“Formerly, one imam led the prayers on occasions like this at the park. But upon intelligence, the police anticipated chaos as both factions were planning to use the same park. We invited them to our office and asked them to avoid the park.
It sat well with them because the leaders looked for three separate locations for their prayers. The police presence here is just to ensure no prayers are held here on the park and that we don’t record any chaos.”
Meanwhile at Aflao, Musah Korda, Ketu South Chief Imam led Muslims through the Eid prayers at the St Peter and Paul Catholic School Park.
In a sermon he delivered from Qu’ran chapter 4:59, he urged the faithful to believe in the words of Allah, do as He says, and also believe in His messengers stressing the need to live in unity and show love to Muslims and people of other faiths.
Abdul-Lateef Abdul-Salam, his spokesperson also called for the need to live in harmony with all persons saying, the prevailing peace in the border community should be protected urging that “let’s live happily and without any conflicts.”
The celebration of Eid al-Adha, the latter of the two Muslim festivals is to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim to follow Allah’s command to sacrifice his son, Ismael.