Mahama to Religious Leaders: No one honours God by assaulting another person
President John Dramani Mahama has urged religious leaders and their followers to exercise restraint, warning that recent tensions involving religious figures must not be allowed to destroy Ghana’s long-standing tradition of peaceful coexistence.
He described recent developments involving a pastor and an imam – including unsavoury comments and reports of physical assaults – as deeply unfortunate.
President Mahama was addressing the opening of the 32nd Biennial General Council Meeting of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, at Gomoa Fetteh on Thursday, August 20, 2026.
“Such incidents must never be allowed to define relations between Christians and other religions in this country,” the President cautioned.
He said for generations, Christians, Muslims and adherents of other faiths have lived together as one people, sharing families, schools, workplaces, security services and public institutions – and that peaceful coexistence remains one of Ghana’s greatest national assets.
President Mahama reminded the gathering that while the 1992 Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and expression, those freedoms do not give anyone the right to insult another person’s beliefs, incite violence or take the law into their own hands.
“Religious conviction must never become religious provocation,” he stated.
“No one honours God by assaulting another person. No one defends the Almighty God by threatening or attacking another human being. God does not need violence committed in His name.”
The President called on pastors, imams and other religious leaders to be measured in their public utterances and on social media, warning that careless remarks from the pulpit, mosque or online can spread fast and cause serious damage.
“Unsavoury social media commentary is dangerous,” he noted.
President Mahama revealed that religious leaders, including the National Chief Imam, would intervene to promote reconciliation, but stressed that the law must be allowed to take its course fairly and impartially.
He urged Ghanaians to teach the next generation that religious diversity is not a weakness but a source of national strength when grounded in mutual respect.
He congratulated the Assemblies of God, Ghana, on its 32nd Biennial Council Meeting and urged the Church to continue translating its faith into practical action that promotes peace, serves the vulnerable and contributes to national development.
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