- Sheikh Aremeyaw Shuaib emphasizes the importance of interfaith interactions
- The spokesperson explains politicians, including Vice President Dr. Bawumia, engage in symbolic acts
- Sheikh Aremeyaw Shuaib defends Dr. Bawumia's actions
The spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shuaib has indicated that there is nothing wrong with Pastors praying for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
This comes on the back of a section of the public criticizing the Vice President for engaging in religious duplicity for allowing Pastors to lay their hands on him and pray for him.
There are several pictures on both social and traditional media where the Vice President as part of the campaign visits a church after which Pastors pray for him.
But speaking in an interview Sheikh Aremeyaw Shuaib stated that there are good reasons why one will find a Muslim in the church.
According to him, he has entered into churches with the Chief Imam like the Catholic Church had an anniversary, “and the Chief Imam was invited, so I went with him.”
“I enter the Presbyterian Church and give lectures. It doesn’t make me less of a Muslim. There’s a way to describe practicing the faith. For example, if I go and behave like every Christian, inside me, I’m a Christian, though I say I’m a Muslim. That would mean compromising my faith, and then there is something wrong”.
“No, no, there are things that are done symbolically. Priests come to the Chief Imam’s place, and when they are leaving, they say they want to pray for him. Sometimes I cringe a little bit because I don’t know what will happen. I will whisper in his ear that they want to say a prayer for him, and he will say, ‘Let them pray’” Sheikh Aremeyaw Shuaib narrated,
He continued: “Those acts are symbolic of friendship. There is something in religious studies we call the phenomenological study of religions, which is a method of research that requires you to bracket your subjectivities to understand. So symbolically, those are called empathetic engagements.
“He is a politician. He is using political tactics. Dr. Bawumia knows that even if all Muslims vote for him, he will not win an election. Politically, it doesn’t make sense to be on one side.”
“So he is doing politics, and people must view him from the angle of his political strategy to get votes from every corner. All the politicians do this. They come to Muslims. Some of them come to the Chief Imam for him to pray for them. The Chief Imam lays his hands on the heads of politicians. When they come, they squat and give their heads to the Chief Imam to pray for them. It’s because of how they see him, but it doesn’t make them less Christian,” the Chief Imam’s spokesperson stated.
