Shamima Muslim, the Deputy Presidential Spokesperson, has bemoaned the tone in which Ghanaians are debating the ongoing national debate over religious rights in mission schools.
The Deputy Presidential Spokesperson called for calm and dialogue, noting that the confrontational tones threaten to derail constructive engagement.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, November 26, Shamima Muslim shared her own experience as a Muslim student at Holy Child School.
Shamima Muslim, in her post, wrote, “We can be authentic and still be progressive. When I first got to Holy Child School in 1995, I was told the school schedule wouldn’t allow me to pray. I prayed anyway. And I attended all compulsory Mass and participated in many school activities.”
“Years later, my cousin became the first ever Muslim Head Girl—Raahat Moomen. Today, Holy Child has a Muslim Teacher Patron for the Muslim girls. No, there are no five times daily congregational prayers, but they pray. And they fast during Ramadan.”
She added, “The tone of the current debate is worrying. We must all recognise that no one wins if we don’t allow cool heads to prevail in this matter and choose confrontation instead of dialogue”.
“To Holy Child School and many others who, on their own, have recognised the needs of all members of their community—keep it up. Educating all citizens secures all of us ultimately,” she concluded.
It will be recalled that, in December 2024, Shafic Osman, a Ghanaian lawyer and PhD candidate at the London School of Economics, sued Wesley Girls’ Senior High School and the Government at the Supreme Court.
The case filed cited Wesley Girls’ restricting Muslim students from wearing the hijab, fasting during Ramadan, and practising other aspects of their faith.
Shafic Osman argued that a public school cannot lawfully restrict the religious rights of Muslim students nor compel them to practise a faith they do not subscribe to.
He grounded his case in the Constitution and international human rights principles, arguing that Wesley Girls’ rules violate Ghana’s constitutional protections for religious freedom.
Meanwhile, Haruna Iddrisu, the Education Minister, speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, emphasised that the rights of every Ghanaian child must be respected and protected.
He stated, “There is some ongoing debate on restrictions on Muslim students in Wesley Girls, which conflicts with international human rights standards and even standards expected of us in Ghana’s Constitution and under Article 33(5) and 26(1) of the Constitution.
“We have a duty to uphold the rights of every Ghanaian child and to uphold the rights of every Ghanaian citizen. No right is divisible. We will not countenance any action by any person to deny any Ghanaian girl the opportunity to practice any religion,” he said.
Also, the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, has questioned the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu what he seeks by resurrecting issues that have already been settled.
Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi revealed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between all major religious groups, including Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, SDAs, and even the Police Service, on how religious tolerance should be handled in schools.
According to the Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Catholics will not abandon their principles so that every religion is practised, adding that when a Catholic child goes to a Muslim or Presbyterian school, they must also respect that school’s rules.
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