Musah Ali (middle), General Secretary of MYAPH addressing the media. With him are Nuhu Khalid (right) and Alhaji Abdul Hamid Baba (left).
Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By William Yaw Owusu
Thursday January 20, 2011
In their bid to defend the Hajj Committee, a group calling itself Muslims Youth against the Politicization of Hajj (MYAPH) yesterday made mockery of themselves when they tried to question the right of another group, Muslim Youth for Change (MYC) that raised allegations of mismanagement against members of committee.
MYAPH organized a news conference at Kwesi Pratt’s Freedom Centre at Kokomlemle, Accra to lambast the MYC for threatening to hit the streets to demonstrate against the Hajj Committee over allegations of mismanagement.
However, had a torrid time explaining to media personnel why they should hold a news conference on the subject matter when members of the committee who were directly accused by MYC are capable of defending themselves.
In the end, all they could say is “we are not here to defend the Hajj Committee. However, we do not want anybody to use the name or office of His Eminence National Chief Imam as shield to launch sporadic on hard earned reputation of the members of Hajj Committee. We are going to fiercely resist any attempt to malign and incite Muslim Youth against them.”
They said they are fighting undue politicization of the organization of Hajj yet they ended making statements reminiscent of politicians making political statements on campaign platforms.
Speaking on behalf of MYAPH, Musah Ali, its General Secretary of said “all of us can bear testimony of the smooth and peaceful manner in which the 2009/2010 was organized but for the court injunction by the detractors of the Hajj Committee one would not even have noted that pilgrimage was ongoing.”
He said “as things turned out to be, Allah the almighty did not allow them to succeed so they are now changing their tactics,” adding “it is not true that those who could not be airlifted to Mecca in 2010 were 600 as it is being speculated but rather 356. The committee was able to airlift 2,144 pilgrims which constitute 85 per cent.”
Musah Ali said the current committee has been able to organize the best ever Hajj in the history of the country adding “one cannot simply understand why the success story of the 2009/2010 Hajj organization has become the headache of some individuals who are even alleged to be taking steps to mobilize and instigate some innocent youth to go on the streets.”
“Muslims in Ghana have seen the good work of the 2009/2010 Hajj Committee and shall fiercely resist any attempt by any group that tries to malign and incite some of our Muslim youth against them.”
MYAPH called on the National Chief Imam to warn those using his name and office for their selfish interest to desist from the act or as they put it “be prepared to face the concequences.”
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