The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has called on Christians and Muslims across the country to exercise maximum restraint amid growing tensions following incidents involving a Christian cleric and a Muslim cleric.
The Council also urged the security services to deal with the matter swiftly, dispassionately and strictly according to law, stressing that the enforcement of the law must not be influenced by religious affiliation or public sentiment.
The call follows the alleged verbal attack on Prophet Mohammed by the Christian cleric and a subsequent video in which a Muslim cleric allegedly incited violence against persons who speak against the Prophet.
Both clerics have since been arrested by the Ghana Police Service.
The CCG, however, expressed concern over the subsequent physical assault of the Christian cleric while he was in police custody, describing the incident as a violation of human dignity and the rule of law.
It condemned both the alleged remarks against the Prophet Mohammed and the alleged incitement to violence by the Muslim cleric, saying neither action should be allowed to undermine Ghana’s longstanding interfaith harmony.
The Council said Ghana had enjoyed peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims for decades, supported by sustained dialogue and collaboration between Christian and Islamic institutions, particularly the Office of the National Chief Imam.
It warned that the actions of a few individuals should not be allowed to derail that relationship.
“We must not allow the reckless actions of a few individuals to derail this hard-won religious harmony,” the Council said.
The CCG therefore urged members of both faiths to refrain from further reprisal actions, whether online or offline, and allow state institutions to handle the matter.
It specifically tasked the security services to apply the law equally to all persons involved, regardless of religion, creed or sentiment.
The Council said such an approach was necessary to demonstrate that the law applied equally to all citizens.
It cited Article 21(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion subject to considerations of public order, as well as Section 207 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), which criminalises conduct or offensive text or behaviour intended to provoke a breach of the peace.
The CCG urged the public to allow state institutions to work without interference and appealed for calm as investigations into the incidents continue.
