Tamale, June 29, GNA- Muslim workers in the formal sector and those who are self-employed have been urged to contribute generously to the Islamic Education Fund (IEF) to enable it achieve its objectives. The board of the Fund has also been urged to negotiate with the Controller and Accountant Generals' Department to deduct at source contributions of Muslim workers to the Fund.

Mr Yussif Adam Nanyama, Executive Director of the Centre for Islamic Development and Propagation (CIDP), made the call at the Annual Handing Over of the Ghana Secondary School branch of the Ghana Muslim Students Association (GMSA) in Tamale on Wednesday. He also requested the board to expand the operations of the Fund to cover other parts of the country especially the Northern, Upper East and the Upper West Regions where majority of the Muslim population in the country could be found.

Mr. Nanyama appealed to Muslims to ensure that their children acquire secular education and said: "it is time we separate secular education and technology from western culture".

He asked parents to send the girl-child to school adding "Islam encourages female education more than any other religion that ever existed in the world."

Mr Nanyama also reminded Muslim women that Islam abhors indecent dressing of Muslim women.

He commended the embassies of both Islamic and non-Islamic countries who supported the education of Muslim students and appealed to the Saudi Arabia Embassy in the country to assist Muslim students pursue higher education.

Mr Marwan Ibn Yahaya, the out-going president of the Ghana Secondary School branch of the GMSA, said during his tenure of office the school was second at a regional Islamic quiz competition organized by the Centre for Islamic Development and Propagation.

He commended the CIDP for assisting the association with Islamic books to improve Islam education.

Mr Yahaya said the association would support the Fund and urged all Islamic organizations to contribute to the scheme.

The IEF, which was recently launched by the Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama in the new Jaubeng District, will solicit Funds for the building of educational facilities.

It will also sponsor teachers in teacher training colleges and award scholarships to brilliant but needy Muslim students to undertake courses in medicine, agriculture, engineering and the sciences in universities abroad.