Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party says that the NPP is the only political organization that gives special recognition and dispensation to Muslims and the Islamic religion.
Mr. Antwi Boasiako popularly known as Chairman Wontumi contends that the NPP's ideology of fair representation and equality are similar to those espoused by Prophet Mohammed (SAW), the famous lslamic Prophet during his time in the Arabian Peninsula.
"Prophet Mohammed also preached equality and fair representation in the society and that is why NPP has consistently stuck by our principles to always share the leadership slot on that basis," he argued.
He was emphatic that his comments were not meant to whip religious sentiments in the country's body politics. The tough-talking NPP regional boss said his assertion was based on factuality and not mere conjecture.
According to him, the interest of the entire Muslim Ummah will be better served with Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia as the vice President.
"Is it not a matter of fact that if the NPP gets elected we are going to see both the Holy Books; Bible and Qur'an in the Flagstaff House like it happened in the era of former President Kufuor?" Chairman Wontumi queried.
Chairman Wontumi noted that for the country to continue in its quest to consolidate gains made so far under the country's peaceful religious coexistence, it is crucial for Ghanaians to return the NPP to the corridors of power in the upcoming December election.
In the view of Chairman Wontumi, the political landscape as well as the growth of the country's peace has largely been depended on the maturity and more importantly, the understanding of activists of the religious boundaries, as well as the mutual respect that people have for the various religious doctrines in the country.
However, the NPP fire-brand also opined that, looking at how functionaries of the ruling government over the years have been running down the Islamic religion and their blatant disregard for the religion, if care is not taken, they will pitch Moslems against the other religious sects in the country all in their crave for political dominance.
In an interview with Peacefmonline.com he cited several instances that government officials and activists of the ruling party have made comments which sought to denigrate Islam and pitch them against the NPP.
He recounted other instances where NDC’s Fifi Kwetey and Koku Anyidoho spoke against Muslims.
"We were in this country when Fifi Kwetey told the whole country that there is no way they were going to allow the Quran to have its way to the Jubilee House (Fifi Kwetey was referring to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as a Vice Presidential Candidate of the NPP during the 2008, and 2012 elections)," Wontumi added.
The Ashanti regional NPP chairman further took Ghanaians into the memory lane where he reminded them of the unfortunate comments by Mr Eric Opoku, the Brong Ahafo regional minister which again sought to create rancor between Moslems and the NPP.
"Mr. Eric Opoku, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, sacrilegiously stated emphatically that all Muslims who align themselves with the opposition New Patriotic Party are fake because the Quran advises true Muslims to stay away from elephants which is the emblem of the NPP...it later happened that even the Surah verse 105, which he quoted to support that claim was actually false...to me the minister perfectly knew that what he was saying was not true but deliberately said that to create confusion for Moslems and us."
According to Wontumi, the B/A regional minister did not even show any sign of respect for the people that he was addressing which included Chiefs, Imams and party executives in a meeting at Acherensua in the Asutifi South Constituency.
He stated that - the Islamic religion was built on strong principles and foundation of love, oneness and unity; it was not built on hate, terrorism, and selfishness, insisting that all these rundowns are clear indicators that the ruling government and its people are hell-bent on doing anything including creating unnecessary disaffection between the NPP and Moslems.
He charged the peace-loving people of this country to reject the NDC in this election because everything that they have shown and done clearly exposes their hate for the Islamic religion, adding: ' voting to retain Mahama and his NDC is a vote against Islam, peaceful coexistence and tolerance.'
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