AFRICANEWS

Ghana

Islam breaks new ground in Ghana

Education/religion: Commentary

In pre-colonial times, Christian Churches dominated the provision of education and other social services. However, in recent times, Muslims have been gaining ground in this area.

In Ghana, debate on which religion is dominant and influential has never produced a direct answer. Invariably, the answer to this controversial topic is often based on the religious inclination of the person answering the question.

According to the last population census, Christians comprised approximately 60 percent of the population, while Moslems and traditional African believers made up the rest. This breakdown has generated controversy, with many Moslems arguing that Islam is the most dominant religion in the country. The traditional African worshippers have in recent times been championing the revival of traditional African religion, arguing that it must be given its rightful place in the national scheme of things.

During pre-independence, the Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches and the Basel Mission provided schools, hospitals, and other social amenities for the benefit of all Ghanaians without regard to their religious backgrounds. Religion has never divided Ghanaians as it has divided Nigerians, Sudanese, and Ethiopians in sub-Saharan Africa.

For instance, it is common to find both Muslims and Christians living and eating together under the same roof. There is a worship place called Orion Cinema in Accra’s popular Kwame Nkrumah Circle, where Muslims and Christians worship simultaneous without clashing. Quite recently, a unique religious organisation called the Synagogue Church set up a common worship place for people of all religions. That shows the extent to which religion is fostering unity and development in the country. That notwithstanding, the country has witnessed isolated cases of religious clashes between Christians and Muslims and some sects of Islam.

In the last couple of years, some Charismatic and Pentecostal churches have joined the race to provide social amenities such as schools and hospitals to communities. Five years ago, The International Central Gospel Church took a giant step by establishing the first private university in the country. Called the Central University College, located in Accra, the university has opened its doors to all Ghanaians irrespective of their religion. This initiative was followed by Valley View University College, the Wisconsin University (Ghana campus) and the Methodist University, which opened early this year.

On October 13, 2001, just three weeks after the terrorist attacks in the United States, Ghanaians witnessed the opening of yet another private university in the plush East Legon residential area of Accra. The Ahlul Bait Foundation, an Iranian non-government organisation, financed the project. The university is the first Islamic University in Ghana, and the fifth private university.

The foundation, which has been working in the education sector in Ghana over the last 15 years thought its efforts in the education sector, would be bolstered if it got involved in tertiary education, an area that has seen very little Muslim involvement.

The foundation acquired the land in 1995. By the middle of last year, the structures were in place. On October 20, 39 students were formally admitted into the Islamic University College. The pioneering students are currently pursuing a four-year degree programme in Religious Studies, while the academic board plans to introduce Business Administration, Banking, Economics, Law, Science, Medicine and Engineering in the coming years. The financiers foresee the institution raising professionals who would impact positively on most communities in the country.

Although the university is open to people of other faiths and races, prospective students must first accept the Islamic code of behaviour. Drinking and smoking and other anti-social activities are prohibited on campus. Besides, female students, workers and lecturers are required to wear the ‘Hijab’ (head cover) on campus.

These and other strict rules yet to be introduced have made many Ghanaians jittery about the future direction of this university. The concerns border on some aspects of the university’s religious education, which some opinion leaders fear could trigger fundamentalist ideas in the country. Recounting the notoriety of Osama bin Laden and his ilk who attended Islamic Universities, some Christian organisations have expressed reservations about the university. Being financed by Iran, whose Shi’ite brand of Islam is most radical, the fear is that very soon scholars from this university could start agitating for the Sharia Law to be introduced in Ghana.

The havoc that the introduction of Sharia Law in northern Nigeria has caused and continues to cause has evoked fear in a section of the Ghanaian population about the future of Ghana’s religious status. At the moment, the Shi’ite Muslims and the Ahmadis, with Pakistani origins are competing against each other in the building of mosques across the country. Anywhere the Ahmadis try to build a mosque, the Shi’ites outsmart them by building first. The two sects of Islam have slight differences in the mode of worship, and each will do anything to infiltrate where the other is firmly rooted.

Iranian interest in tertiary education in Ghana dates back to 1994, when the government decided to establish the University of Development Studies Tamale in the northern region of Ghana. Initial funding was sourced from the United States to commence the project, but somehow, the Iranian government came in with some funds, which was rejected by the then Minister of Education. Nevertheless, the Iranians constructed an Islamic Technical School in the same town.

Apart from the university, the Iranian government has been active in other sectors of the economy. The Iran Clinic, one of the most popular hospitals in Accra, serves people from all religions at a reduced cost. At Maamobi, a suburb of Accra, which is dominated by Muslims, the Iranian government has built a cultural centre where Muslim youth are trained in technical skills and vocations.

The Iranians have built an Islamic school complex at Wenchi a predominantly Muslim settlement in the Brong Ahafo region of the country.

The Kuwaitis and the Saudis are also active in the northern region of the country. The Kuwaiti Fund and the Saudi Fund have, over the years, financed the digging of wells, building of mosques, and other infrastructure in deprived communities across the country.

Whatever the arguments and the fears are, one thing is clear; Islam is gaining a lot of influence in Ghana.

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