The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has called on religious leaders and Ghanaians to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence amid recent religious tensions.
His call follows a series of incidents involving inflammatory comments about Christianity and Islam, which have heightened concerns about possible religious tensions in the country.
The Ghana Police Service on Wednesday, August 12, arrested an Imam who allegedly called for attacks on people who made offensive comments about Prophet Mohammed.
The police also arrested a pastor over an alleged offensive comment about Prophet Mohammed, while a man captured in a video assaulting the handcuffed pastor at a police station was subsequently arrested.
Speaking at a meeting between the Police Service and religious bodies in Accra on Friday, August 14, IGP Yohuno condemned attempts to resort to violence or vigilante action in response to offensive remarks.
“Violence will not fix what words have broken, and vigilante retribution will never replace the rule of law in Ghana,” he said.
According to the IGP, even though the police have a responsibility to maintain law and order, religious and community leaders also have a crucial role in calming tensions and preventing further escalation.
He urged the religious bodies to use their moral authority to promote restraint and peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims.
“Ghana’s peace is not an accident of history. It is a divine blessing born of the sheer realisation that Christians and Muslims in this country are not strangers to one another,” IGP Yohuno said.
He said Ghana’s religious communities have lived together for generations and must protect the country’s reputation for religious tolerance.
The IGP further urged citizens to allow the law to take its course instead of resorting to retaliation whenever religious sentiments are offended.
He assured the public that the police would continue to investigate the recent incidents and ensure that persons found culpable face the law.
