Deputy National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kamal Deen Abdulai, has cautioned against attempts to politicise or exploit the ongoing debate over the treatment of Muslim students at Wesley Girls’ Senior High School, insisting the controversy must not be allowed to threaten Ghana’s long-standing interfaith educational system.
Speaking on Peace FM, Abdulai said the conversation around Muslim students in mission schools risks being hijacked by people seeking to sow division for political gain. He argued that Ghana’s schools have historically been spaces where Christians and Muslims learn and grow together, and he warned against framing the current issue as a religious standoff.
He emphasized that Ghana has, since independence, enjoyed uncommon religious cohesion, adding that no major conflict rooted in faith differences has ever defined the country. “Ghana has never had religious friction, and we must ensure this moment does not create one,” he stressed.
Abdulai also reminded the public that interfaith participation in public life is not new. Citing the existence of the Muslim Association Party in the 1960s, he noted that Muslims and Christians have always shared political, social and educational spaces without hostility.
Challenging those questioning the presence of Muslim students in Christian-founded schools, he argued that mission institutions have, for decades, welcomed students from diverse backgrounds and should be recognized as pillars of national integration rather than targets of suspicion.
He suggested that most of the uproar stems from misinformation, saying: “We have co-existed for a long time. At this stage of our development, these arguments should not even be surfacing.”
Backing his call with Islamic scripture, Abdulai referred to Qur’an 5:5, which affirms permissible social relations and cooperation between Muslims and “People of the Book.” According to him, this teaching reinforces the principle that coexistence is not only possible but encouraged.
As debate intensifies over faith practices in mission schools, Abdulai urged Ghanaians to stay alert to narratives that could fracture the country’s unity. He appealed for restraint and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to peaceful coexistence: “We should not allow religion to divide us. Ghana’s unity must remain stronger than these disagreements.”
