The African Literacy Club (ALIC) has organized young Muslims in Greater Accra Region as part of effort to commemorate the International Youth Day at the National Mosque at Kanda.
The youth day workshop was attended by over 30 representatives from Ghanaian Muslim youth groups operating within Accra who discussed topics mostly on terrorism, its influence and how the youth was attracted to it and the best way counter it.
Alhaji Khuzaima Mohammed Osman, ALIC Executive Director told the Ghana News Agency in Tema that the workshop was on the theme: “The growing tendency of terrorist threats: viewpoints of the Muslim youth”.
He said participants discussed how the youth could avoid terrorism; rising entrepreneurs from Muslim communities, poverty as it fuels terrorism, and unemployment; the base of terrorism.
The youth representatives came to a consensus that, “the stereotyping and violence stigma attached to the Zango youth is not helping them grow.
Individuals, groups and companies are advised to stop it and end the practice of discrimination against some sections of Ghanaian youth”.
They noted that Muslim or Zango youth had come a long way in terms of hard work, zeal and anxiousness to work, stating that it was therefore discouraging when they turn up for interviews or work and they were refused on the notion that Zango youth were violent and confrontational.
He said there were qualified Ghanaian Muslims with requisite skills and know-how to execute any kind of work in Ghana or abroad therefore the seemingly discrimination in terms of employment must stop especially within the public and civil agencies.
“Government, they claimed was not helping matters as there are several functional boards, agencies and Ghanaian Embassies around the World where there are no single Ghanaian Muslims working as service personnel or even on political positions,” he said.
The meeting therefore appealed to government to look into how it constituted boards of government agencies and the recruitment of staff into ministries, departments and agencies.
The group noted that Muslim youth and their leadership had realized, “this systemic abuse of power without regards to the rights of minorities, as a result they only recruit people with other religious groups when employment opportunities avail itself at their agencies, board, civil service or private corporations”.
Government, the Muslims noted must look at this matter as it also amounted to terrorism against Muslims, and sent wrong signals outside to whoever was waiting for an opportunity to influence Muslim youth.
The observed that terrorists thrived on the use of social media, internet, employment opportunities, vulnerability and unemployed youth to operate and caution parents and guardians to be more responsible in guiding their children.
Participants recommended that unemployed and unskilled youth must acquire some vocational and technical skills to sustain their livelihood and government must also invest in technical and vocational education to attract the youth into it.
They commended ALIC for creating the platform for them to air their views on such topical issues and appealed to relevant authorities to consult the youth on issues before formulating policies that would have some effects on their lives.
