Cape Town - Ghana’s chief imam Sheikh Osman Sharubutu has donated more than US$8 000 to support the construction of a national cathedral, international reports have said on Monday.
Sharubutu is a Ghanaian Islamic cleric who currently serves as the Chief Imam of Ghana, as well as a member of the National Peace Council, which is a national body whose aim is to raise awareness surrounding the use of non-violent strategies in response to conflict through networking, coordination and campaigning.
The National Peace Council consists of 13 members, representing various religious, social or political groups, according to research website Wikipedia.
According to a BBC report, the 102-year-old cleric said the gesture was to strengthen peaceful co-existence between Christians and Muslims.
Christians and Muslims have long had good relations in the West African country.
Chief Imam Sharubutu has dedicated his existence to building bridges among Muslims and Christians.
In 2019, the chief imam celebrated his 100th birthday at Accra's Christ the King Catholic Church for an Easter service.
The National Peace Council met with the National Chief Imam and the Muslim Caucus in parliament in May, where chief imam Sharubutu said God had been gracious to Ghanaians by giving them peace, and that adherents of various faiths were able to live in peace and harmony in the country; saying that Ghanaians must preserve the peace of the nation.
“Citing the Holy Koran, the National Chief Imam advised Ghanaians to always communicate with each other in a civil manner,” according to the website peace council.gov.gh.
“We are overwhelmed and lost for words. This is a big gesture, and we appreciate it. I think many people, including Christians and Muslims, will follow what the Chief Imam has done,” said the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral, Apostle Opoku Onyinah, according to news website My Joy Online.com
African News Agency (ANA)