27th September 2021

THE CHAIRJV[AN,
NATIONAL PEACE COUNCIL,
ACCRA.

Dear Sir,

IN RE: VIOLATION OF RELIGIOUS RIGHTS OF MUSLIMS AT WESLEY GIRLS, HIGH

SCHOOL. CAPE COAST

We wish to petition your council on pertinent matters pending before you on the above subject.

A Muslim father, Mr. Ismail Zakarra Alhassan got a complaint from his daughter at Wesley Girls' High
School to the effect that the school does not allow her to fast. As a result, on 26'h April202L he drove
from Accra to Cape Coast to withdra"w his ward from the school. The ineident led to condemnation from
the general public culminating in a directive contained in a press release dated l't May 2021 fuom the
Ghana Education Service (GES) to the school authorities to allow the Muslim students to fast.

The GES directive was followed by a reaction liom the Methodist Church Ghana in a press release dated
4th May 2021 in which the leadership of the Methodist Church stated that the Methodist Church took
"strong exception to the directive given" in the GES press release. Several organisations and individuals
waded into the matter by reason of which the National Peace Council eventually stepped in to find an
amicable resolution to the issue.

From the discussions that followed, it emerged that the issue at Wesley Girls' High School was not
merely about preventing Muslim students at the school from fasting, but as a matter of fact, the
constitutionally guaranteed religious rights of Muslim students are entirely curtailed in the school. The
Muslim students at the school are not allowed to: prepare for and perform their five (5) mandatory daily
prayers, hold leadership roles in the school including but not limited to prefectship, have their religious
scripture (the Holy Qur'an) with them in the school, exercise their constitutional right to associate with
other Muslim students in the schooi, and take isiamicaiiy appropriate <iresses (such as veiisihijabs) with
them for prayers in the school. Indeed, Muslim students of Wesley Girls' High School are not merely
subjected to gross discrimination at all levels at the school, but they also suffer bullying/targeting by other
students/prefects, housemistresses, school chaplain and teachers. They are also compelled to attend
mandatory Christian Church services, a faith they do not subscribe to.

As parents, old girls and concerned Muslims of Ghana, we find it worrying and disturbing that several
months after the National Peace Council's intervention, the promised "amicable resolution" has not been
communicated to the public. The prevailing situation at the school is very discomforting in the light of the
factthat another Muslim month of fasting (Ramadan) is fast approaching whilst the religious rights of the
Muslim students of Wesley Girls SHS are still curtailed by the school's authorities.

We have been informed about regulations/subsidiary legislation on school faith practices being worked
on. Much as we think this is a laudable move, we believe there is the urgent need not only to broaden the
stakeholders' consultation, but also to expedite the process of putting the regulations into effect in the
interest of national peace, harmony and security.

At the moment, the final year SHS students are writing their final exams, and one cannot imagine the
impact the denial of the religious rights of Muslim students in Wesley Girls' High School is having on the
Muslim students at the school. It is our prayer that the above-mentioned regulations andlor legislation
would be communicated to the"public in the shortest possible time.
We look forward to receiving a response on this request soonest, to avoid undue complications.

Yours Llv,

LEPO M.N.D..IAWULA
ULER
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I,'ORMER CHIEI' DIRECTOR - MINIS'I'RY OF HEALTH

tAlfr\\hS$L}-)fi A\A,DSQ.
(OLD GIRL OF WESLEY GIRLS' HIGH
scHooL - 1993)

(OLD GIRL OF \YESLEY GIRLS' HIGII

scHool - 2013)

WESLEY GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL)

ISMAIL ZAKARIA ALHASSAN

(PARENT OF A CURRENT STUDENT OF
WESLEY GIRLS' HIGH SCHOOL)

Cc:

1. The Minister of Education

2- The Attorney General and Minister of Justice
3. The National Security Minister
4. The Director General of Ghana Education Service
-t. The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ)
6" The National House af Chiefs
7. The Muslim Caucus in Parliament
8, The Office of the National Chief Imam
9- The Methodist Church of Ghana
. 10. The Christian Council of Ghana
I l. The Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference
12. The Headmistress - Wesley Girls' High School
13. The Old Girls' Associatiw of Wesley Girls' High School
14. The Board Chairman- Wesley Girls' High Schttol
 15. The Chief of StafJ, OlJice of the Presidenr, Jubilee House -Accro
16. The Secretary to the Pre,sident, Jubilee House - Accra
17. The Secretary to ()abinet, .Iuhilee House - Accra
18. The Chairntan, Council o.f State
19. The Minister oJ Interior
20. The Minister of Chieftainq, crncl Religious AJ/airs
21. The Conference of Assistecl Schools (CHASS)
22. Federation of Muslim Wonten Associations in Ghana (FOMWAG)
23. The Coalition of Muslim Organiscrtions Ghana (COMOG)
24. The Africa Educcttion Watch
25. IlL4tVI
26. Interncttictnal Fecleration of Women Lowyers (FIDA)
27. Women in Lcu,r ctnd Det,clopment in Afi icct (WiLDAF)
2 B. Tran sparencl: In I ern a ti on a l, G hana

29. Strengthening Transparenc)), Accountability and Responsiveness (,\TAR Ghana)

30. The Ghana Bar Association
31. Muslim La.ntyers Forum (MLF)
32. The Medict