The Head of Salawatiyya Mosque in Tamale, Sheihu Salawatiyya Rashid Hussain has dismissed media reports that he was the brain behind the attack on the Ambariya Mosque on 20 August 2012 at the time of congregational prayers.
Sheihu Salawatiyya who is an Islamic spiritual scholar stated that by his training and stature, he will be the last person to attack a fellow Muslim and a mosque which he said is the house of Allah and described speculations and remours about his involvement on the unfortunate incident as false and fabrications to taint his hard won reputation.
Addressing a news conference in Tamale, Sheihu Salawatiyya stressed that the Tijania Muslims sect in Ghana for the past 40 years have been under attack and that the Tijania Muslim sect will continue to remain peaceful in Tamale and the country as a whole.
Sheihu Imam Rashid said he will pursue the matter to the highest level through legal means because, as he put it, ” he is under oath as spiritual leader to say nothing but the truth at all times’’.
Sheihu Salawatiyya explained that he was returning from the concluding Tafsir of Sheik Al-Hussein Zakaria at Aboabu on that fateful day.
Sheihu Imam Rashid also explained that, the bone of contention between Tijania and Ahl-Sunna is not about the interpretation of some verses of the Holy Qur’an, but that persistent accusation by Ahl-Sunna that the Tijanias are corrupting Islam and practicing it wrongly.
He further explained that the issue of condemning the Tijania sect with a Hadith could not be found in most of the authentic Hadiths. He therefore challenged anybody who can produce such a Hadith to come with it for a reward of 2,000.00 Ghana cedis or 2 cars.
Sheihu Imam Rashid reiterated his commitment to ensuring peace in the region, saying he is in good relationship with some Sunnis like Imam Ibrahim Basha in the Tamale metropolis and urged other Sunnis to commit themselves towards ensuring peace in the northern region.
Sheihu Imam Rashid also lamented about the political interference in religious issues in the region and blamed the 20th August Muslim clashes on politicians and again accused the Northern Regional Minister of discriminating against the Tijania Muslim sect in the region.
He however commended the security agencies for their swift response and the high sense of professionalism they exhibited in the unfortunate situation saying without them it would have been disastrous
Responding to the accusations, the northern regional minister Moses Bukari Mabengba rubbished their claims and expressed his dismay about the unfortunate incident in the run-up to the Holy Month Ramadan which was a self meditation and forgiveness for Muslims.
He said Ahl-Sunna and Tijania issues in Tamale dates back to the 60s and are more than 40 years as Imam Rashid claimed. Mr. Mabengba said he has been praying with various sects in the region during major Islamic festivals and that it would be naive for anybody to accuse him of being discriminatory.
He said “if you cannot solve your own problem you don’t have to blame another person for the problem’’. He stated he has been attending Muslim ceremonies upon invitations and that he cannot attend any function without invitation. Mr Mabengba said he will continue to serve the people in the region devoid of discrimination to the best of his ability, regardless of any accusations and falsehoods people peddle about him.
]]>
