Accra, July 13, GNA - The 24th annual conference of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Women's Association, Lajna Imaila, of the Greater Accra Region, ended on Sunday, at Accra, with a call on women to make the moral upbringing, and education of their children a priority. The two-day conference, on the theme: "Preserving moral values in the society: a challenge to the Muslim woman," was held at the Mission's Centre at Ashongman.

The conference attracted delegates from the Achimota, Darkuman, Kasoa, Tema, Nima, and Abossey Okai circuits of the Ahmadiyya Mission. The more than 700 women, dressed in beautiful pure white caftans and veils, who sat on orderly arranged garden chairs on neat lawn under a canopy adorned with beautifully designed kente cloth, interspersed the preaching, Koranic reading, exhortations and poetry recitals with joyous and exciting shouts in praises to Allah.

Apart from the spiritual refreshment and revival, the women also took part in a quiz, and games like sac race, lime and spoon race, picking and filling of balls into baskets, "ampe" and musical chairs as well as a video show.

The Ahmadi women also mounted an exhibition of textiles, confectionary and floral designs and products.

Addressing the closing session, Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, MP, Shama West commended Ahmadi women on their immense role in bringing up their children to be morally upright.

She stressed on the need for women to give the education of their children a priority, pointing out that education was the best form of investment they could give them and suggested a fund to be set aside to that effect.

Mrs Baiden-Amissah, however, noted with concern that there still existed rape, sexual abuse and other forms of questionable moral behaviour despite a number of local and international conventions and laws to reduce such deviant practices.

Mrs Baiden-Amissah urged women to do more in teaming up with their husbands to bring up their children and to protect them from bad influences.

She said it was necessary for women to maintain a high sense of discipline, and be respectful in communicating with their husbands and others as good examples for their children to emulate.

They must avoid sexually provocative dressing, and preserve moral values for mutual respect from their husbands.

Men, she said, should also love their wives, and give them the necessary care and security.

Mrs Miriam Bentil, Presidents of the Tema Circuit of the Association advised Ahmadi parents not to shirk their responsibility towards their children and stressed the need to give children secular education to enhance their intelligence to benefit themselves, their communities and the nation.

She advised mothers to be serious with antenatal care, eat balanced diet and practice exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months after birth for their babies to be strong.

Muslim women must also teach their children to be respectful and obedient and also inculcate Islamic values into them. The Greater Accra Regional Missionary, Maulvi Aziz-ur Rahman, said humility was a cardinal characteristic of Allah's chosen people, and urged Ahmadis to exhibit humbleness to incur Allah's blessings at all times.