His Eminence Sheikh Dr. Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, National Chief Imam, has called on Muslim youth to protect the principles of Islam and avoid being used as tools for election violence.

He said Muslim youth in the Zongo communities should rally behind their Muslim chiefs to fight against misunderstandings and instability during elections since they had been used mostly by political leaders, as tools in election violence and left to their fate thereafter.

Sheikh Dr. Nuhu Sharubutu made the statement when he was addressing Chief Imams and leaders of Islamic communities at the launch of the Sustainability and Vigilance on National Peace and Stability Project on Wednesday at Kasoa in the Central region, under the flagship of the Islamic Peace and Security Council of Ghana (IPASEC).

He said the Project was aimed at ensuring violence free elections in Zongo communities and to engage their youth in training, education and dialogue to ensure that the issue of peace and stability was well rooted in their minds, to make it a collective commitment towards national stability.

He tasked Chief Imams and Zongo leaders to consistently preach against violence and admonished parents to be more assertive and responsible in the upbringing of their wards so as to instill discipline in them.

Sheikh Dr. Nuhu Sharubutu used the occasion to caution the youth to take their destiny into their own hands and be responsible in all their endeavors.

Sheikh Alhaji Ismail Abubakar Boamayi, Guest of Honor at the ceremony said the project would engage the youth in their communities, to explain to them the significance of the project.

He said Muslim youth must guard themselves against election violence and propagate Islam in a peaceful manner since that was what Islam stood for.

He noted that the principles and teachings of Ramadan should be inculcated in the youth and appealed to their leaders to educate them on the dangers of election violence and its implications.

Alhaji Khuzamia, Executive Secretary IPASEC and Personal Assistant to the Chief Imam in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, entreated the media to propagate Islam as a peaceful institution rather than a violent one.

He said another danger facing the Muslim community was the issue of Mission Schools denying Muslim students on their right to practice their religion in school and was firm to say that it was a threat to their peaceful coexistence.

He called on the Christian Council and other religious bodies to preach peace and help resolve the issue so they could mingle freely with other religious bodies and live peacefully as a country.

The Sustainability and Vigilance on National Peace and Stability Project was launched earlier this year in Accra, to advocate for a violence-free election in Zongo communities.

The idea was to educate the Zongo youth not to allow themselves to be used as political machinery for violence by politicians, but be smart to engage in dialogue for peaceful coexistence when the need arose.

The Project drew Chief Imams and leaders from Cape Coast, Elmina, Swedru, and Kasoa and would be launched in all 10 regions of the country.

It would use the occasion to preach peace and educate the Muslim youth against political instability and Kasoa was chosen as the first region since it is the largest Muslim community in the country.**