Kumasi,- Sheikh Mohammed Bun Bida, Public Relations Officer (PRO), Office of the Ashanti Regional Chief Imam, has advised the Muslim community to strictly observe the COVID-19 safety protocols at this year’s celebration of the ‘Eid-ul-Adha’.

“We should be mindful of how we mark the day and strive to respect the existing protocols for our safety,” he told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Kumasi.

Muslims should adhere to social distancing, wash and keep their hands sanitized and also wear their face masks as they go to the various mosques to pray, the PRO cautioned.

Sheikh Bun Bida said the Office of the Regional Chief Imam had given a directive to the Muslim community to strive to conduct prayers in their respective jurisdictions.

“We want to avoid a scenario where Muslims troop to the Kumasi Central Mosque in their numbers given the situation in which we find ourselves, especially in the wake of the pandemic,” he told the GNA.

The Regional Chief Imam’s Office, he said, would be delegating some Senior Imams to the major mosques to supervise the activities of the congregation for a successful ceremony.

The ‘Eid-ul-Adha’, which would be observed in all the 43 districts in Ashanti, on Tuesday, July 20, is an Islamic festival that celebrates the obedience of Prophet Ibrahim in sacrificing his son, Ismail, to God.

It honours the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God’s command.

The day is marked worldwide by Muslims with prayers and the sacrifice of animals, and one-third of the meat is consumed by the family offering the sacrifice, while the rest is distributed to the poor and needy.

Sheikh Bun Bida advised the Muslim community to uphold the sanctity of the occasion by praying for the country’s prosperity, peace and unity.

Source: Ghana News Agency