Kumasi, Aug 25, GNA- Hajia Ramatu Mahama, wife of the Vice President, has called on Muslim women in the country to take secular education very serious.

She said t his would empower them to become self-reliant and develop their capabilities to enable them to be competitive within the global village of equal opportunity for all irrespective of gender, religion or race.

Hajia Mahama was addressing Muslim women and students at the first Holy Quran memorization graduation and fundraising ceremony of Sabeelil Huda Women's Association, a benevolent Muslim women's group in Kumasi on Saturday.

The ceremony attracted over 1,500 Muslim mothers and young girls from various Muslim groups and organizations in the Metropolis who witnessed the graduation of 43 Muslim women who have studied the Quran for 13 years.

She said empowering women starts with educating the girl-child and urged them to use the occasion to raise funds to champion the education of Muslim women.

She noted that the spiritual exercise of learning the Quran and committing it to memory was crucial because it kept the tenets of Islam constantly in focus.

Hajia Mahama stressed that the religious principles of Islam included love, peace, unity, patience and perseverance and that these virtues were meant to improve the understanding of how to live with one another in harmony.

"In appreciating the need for social harmony, it is also necessary to appreciate the fact that there are other aspects to social cohesion of adherents of Islam who recite the Quran ought to appreciate". To be a responsible citizen for instance, one must aspire to be able to contribute to the general well-being of one's community, the country and the world at large", she said.

Hajia Mahama said one required knowledge beyond spiritual proficiency, adding that, the spiritual knowledge should give them the moral strength and courage to tackle the difficult issues of hunger, poverty, ignorance and diseases at all levels. She called on Imams, Chiefs, assembly members, women's organizations and other opinion leaders to redouble their efforts and encourage people to take advantage of government's programmes in education and health. We have to produce citizens who would not be only spiritually sound but would also appreciate the dynamics of social organization and governance. She said as responsible mothers they should advise their children to resist the temptation of being used by misguided opportunists to achieve their selfish ambitions. "We should all endeavour to give the Islamic religion the true image upon which it was founded, unity and peace. We must unite in our desire to convince the world that Islam is not synonymous with violence by being disciplined in the manner in which we conduct ourselves", she emphasized. She later presented assorted drugs to Sir Gibrine's Memorial Health services Centre at Akwatialine on behalf of her husband the Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, which was established by the late Member of Parliament for Asawase. 25 Aug 07