Take Firm Action Against Religious Leaders Who Make Inciting Comments – Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference Tells Government
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called on government to take firm and decisive action against religious leaders whose comments incite division and threaten national peace.
According to the Conference, freedom of religion, though guaranteed by the Constitution, must be exercised within the confines of the law and should not be used as a cover for statements that undermine social cohesion and public order.
The call was made by the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, during an engagement with Parliament’s Chieftaincy, Culture and Religious Affairs Committee.
Most Rev. Gyamfi expressed concern about what he described as government’s weak handling of recent cases involving religious leaders who make inflammatory and inciting comments in the public space.
He noted that unchecked religious intolerance and provocative utterances have the potential to destabilize the country’s peace, and urged state institutions mandated to regulate religious affairs to act without fear or favour.
“Freedom of religion must be exercised within the confines of the law. Religious freedom should not be used as a justification for statements that have the potential to threaten peace and social cohesion,” he stressed.
The Bishops’ Conference emphasized that Ghana’s religious tolerance, which has long been a model for the sub-region, must be protected through proactive enforcement of laws and clear sanctions for offenders, regardless of their religious status or following.
The Conference further called for closer collaboration between religious bodies, the Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Ministry, and Parliament to develop a clear framework for promoting responsible religious discourse in the country.
The engagement forms part of ongoing consultations by the Committee with faith-based organizations on matters of national peace, religious tolerance and coexistence.
