Accra, Nov. 16, GNA - The Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) on Tuesday extended happy felicitations to all Muslims and in particular Muslims on pilgrimage to Mecca to perform the Hajj on the occasion of the celebration of this year's Eid-Ul-Adha.

In a statement issued in Accra and signed by Mr Bede A. Ziedeng, General Secretary said there was no gain saying the fact that the religious ritual of performing the Hajj by Muslims is not only a sacred one, but is one of the fundamental pillars of Islam that every Muslim wishes to undertake during his life-time.

The performance of Hajj is an opportunity for the Muslim to sacrifice to Allah and to receive blessings in a similar way that Ibrahim did when he was prepared to offer his son Ishmael as sacrifice to Allah in place of a ram, as a show of love for his creator.

The statement said the principle of sacrifice as preached by Eid-Ul-Adha was a permanent reminder to all and sundry for the need to always sacrifice for neighbours, including mankind. The celebration of Eid-Ul-Adha is also intended to demonstrate the oneness of humanity through this act of sacrifice. Unfortunately, in recent times, this virtue of oneness appears to have been lost on some Ghanaians as a result of the constant pollution of the political environment, through the utterances, and language used by politicians, political activist, supporters and even some social commentators in their political discourse. "This is most unhealthy and many at times counter-productive. It is therefore the prayer and believe of the DFP that through the celebration and the blessings bestowed on Muslims by Allah, our society would benefit from such blessings if they are brought to bear on our political discourse in a positive and productive manner so that this country would become a better place for us all," it added.

The DFP expressed concern about the organisation of the Hajj in this country on account of the difficulties experienced this year. "It is our view that since prospective pilgrims does not perform the Hajj based on their political affiliations, but purely on religion, it may be worth the while of Muslims to try to de-politicise the organisation of the Hajj," the statement said.

The statement reiterated that about three years ago, the DFP advocated for the establishment of Commission, with representatives from all stakeholders including government, in place of the Hajj Board or Hajj Committee to be responsible for the exercise. "No attention has been paid to it, particularly after last year's successful organisation. Our position has not changed, as we have to stop using the method of fire-fighting in our approach to the handling of various issues. This is the surest way to ensure that we do not continue to experience hiccups, in the organisation of Hajj," it added. 16 Nov. 10