Accra, June 25, GNA - Muslims were on Wednesday urged to embrace secular education since it was the best means by which they could improve their socio-economic status and their communities. "It is perceived that Muslims in Ghana are the least educated and form the highest number of the illiterate population and this has made the Muslim backward politically, economically and in all other spheres of life," said Alhaji Sumaila Karim, Executive Director of the Ghana Muslim Education Fund (GMEF).

Speaking at the GMEF stakeholders meeting, Alhaji Karim said, although there were about three million Muslims in the country, their representation in all public universities and other tertiary institutions was nothing good to write home about. He noted that due to their lack of education the Muslim youth in the country were usually associated with truck pushing, watchmen, kayaye and stowaway.

"Due to lack of pension scheme for these jobs at old age, our old ones roam about begging for alms", he added. Enumerating some of the achievements of the GMEF since its inception three years ago in the New juaben Municipality in the Eastern Region, Alhaji Karim said it had enabled Muslims to independently estimate their population in the district.

He mentioned that it had also fostered unity within the Muslim community to contribute towards a scheme locally to sponsor their children.

He noted that the scheme which was operational in all the sixteen districts in the Eastern Region had enabled 24 students in the New Juaben Municipality and two students from the Fanteakwa district to be sponsored.

Alhaji Karim said that the remaining districts were at the mobilization stage and that hopefully their sponsorship of students would commence in September.

The Executive Director urged the three million Muslims in the country to contribute twenty pesewas each towards the scheme and at the end of the year, about six thousand new Ghana cedis could be realized for developmental projects.

Mr. Iddriss Apaw Wiredu, Administrator of the fund appealed to all to contribute GHc250.00 each to help the GMEF meet its overhead cost. Alhaji Rashid Bawa, Ghana's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia donated two thousand Ghana cedis towards the fund and pledged to do everything within his power to ensure its success. Some of the stakeholders included the Ghana Muslim Students Association, Society of Muslim Preachers, Muslim Caucus in Parliament and office of the National Chief Imam.