Fasting poses no health risks – Islamic doctors challenge Wesley Girls’ school, PTA, Methodist Church
The Islamic medical association of Ghana (IMAGH) has challenged assertions by the management of Wesley Girls’ High School, its PTA and the Methodist Church Ghana that they implement a no-fasting policy in the school to safeguard the health of students. Justifying their reason for not allowing a Muslim student to undertake the month-long Ramadan fast, the school’s management, as well as the PTA and the Methodist Church Ghana, argued that allowing the fast could pose health risks to the student. However, the group of Islamic health professionals say the claims by the school, PTA and the church are not grounded in science. The Islamic health professionals rather adduced evidence to the contrary. “At no point within the 12 – 16-hour period of fasting is the person deprived of any essential nutrient”, IMAGH said in a statement issued on Wednesday, 5 May 2021 and co-signed by its President and General Secretary, respectively, Dr Abdul-Samed Tanko (Consultant cardiologist) and Dr Hadi Mohammed Abdullah (Neurosurgeon), arguing: “This is the reason why Islam highly encourages the intake of Suhoor (dawn meal)”. The group said “contrary to the opinion expressed by the school, its PTA, and the Methodist Church, several medical research conducted and published on reputable medical journals such as the New Journal of England medicine, John Hopkins Journal of medicine, have affirmed that intermittent fasting promotes blood sugar control via the reduction of insulin resistance and impacts positively on type 2 diabetes mellitus, and minimises the risk of coronary heart disease and hyperlipidaemia”. In addition, IMAGH asserted that “it has also been shown to reduce markers of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress that are associated with atherosclerosis”. Read the groups full statement below: ECHO OF ISLAMIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OF GHANA (IMAGH) ———————————————————————————– RE: WESLEY GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL PREVENTS A STUDENT FROM FASTING The Islamic medical association of Ghana (IMAGH), which represents all Muslim health professionals in the country, has noted with utter disdain the distorted assertions made by the Wesley Girls’ High school, the Methodist Church of Ghana and the PTA of the school in their communiqué to the effect that fasting is deleterious to the health of students. This inaccurate assertion was made by these bodies in an attempt to justify the clear violations of the religious rights of Muslim students in Wesley Girls’ High school. As far as IMAGH is concerned, those claims are unfounded and lack any firm bases in science and medicine. These claims by the 3 bodies were made without any scientific proof. IMAGH acknowledges the fact that there are various religious groups who fast. However, the mode of fasting differs from one religion to the other. Whilst fasting is optional in most religions, it is compulsory for all healthy Muslims to fast in the month of Ramadan: “O ye who believe, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous” (Quran 2:186). Despite the fact that the instruction to fast is obligatory, the Quran in chapter 2:184 exempts Muslims with underlying health and some physiological conditions from fasting. These include those who are ill or on a journey. Muslims with active peptic ulcer, pregnant and lactating women, renal disease, liver disease are encouraged by Islamic scholars and health professionals to avoid fasting. This is because fasting is not intended to cause hardship. It must also be emphasised that peptic ulcer disease is not caused by hunger or fasting. This misinformation of the general public needs to stop. The causes of peptic ulcer disease are well known. Science and medicine has an envious place in Islam. In spite of these exemptions, one is not allowed to skip fasting based on any other reasons. It is even worse when such instructions are not based on sound scientific knowledge. It is important to state that Islamic fasting is comparatively moderate and cannot be considered as starvation. There is a clear scientific distinction between fasting and starvation. Their physiological and biochemical effects on the human body are also different. At no point within the 12 – 16-hour period of fasting is the person deprived of any essential nutrient. This is the reason why Islam highly encourages the intake of Suhoor (dawn meal). Contrary to the opinion expressed by the school, its PTA, and the Methodist church, several medical research conducted and published on reputable medical journals such as the New Journal of England medicine, John Hopkins Journal of medicine, have affirmed that intermittent fasting promotes blood sugar control via the reduction of insulin resistance and impacts positively on type 2 diabetes mellitus, and minimises the risk of coronary heart disease and hyperlipidaemia. In addition, it has also been shown to reduce markers of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress that are associated with atherosclerosis. In conclusion, IMAGH wishes to state that Ghana is a secular state which must promote inclusiveness. Public- or government-assisted schools, which seek to promote one religion over the other, poses a risk to all of us and our future. We need to be careful in taunting Muslims to build their own schools. If this is done, this has the potential of deepening religious segregation and divisiveness. We, therefore, call for a broader stakeholder consultation to find an amicable solution to this issue. PRESIDENT DR ABDUL-SAMED TANKO CONSULTANT CARDIOLOGIST GENERAL SECRETARY DR HADI MOHAMMED ABDULLAH NEUROSURGEON Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
65 national security galamseyers arrested in 10 days
Some 19 persons claiming to be national security operatives have been arrested in the Atewa forest in the Eastern Region mining gold. The camouflaged suspects invaded the reserve in Akyem-Akateng with a Toyota Land Cruiser under the guise of embarking on an operation to clamp down on illegal small-scale miners (galamseyers) on the dawn of Tuesday, 4 May 2021. Despite being armed, locals in the area and forest guards resisted their entry by deflating the tyres of their V8. The 19 brings to 65, the number of alleged security operatives arrested for being involved in galamsey in the past two weeks. The suspects have been moved from the Asamankese District Police Command to the police headquarters in the Eastern Region. Meanwhile, civil society group OccupyGghana has said the fight against galamsey by the Akufo-Addo government died the day Chinese ‘galamsey queen’ Aisha Huang was let to go scot-free by the state after her arrest. In a statement insisting the government enforce anti-galamsey laws to the letter, OccupyGhana said the government’s “epileptic and faltering fight [against] galamsey gives the impression that it is unwilling to follow and apply the law”. “When Aisha Huang was first arrested, she was charged with some ludicrous, risible and insignificant administrative breaches of immigration regulations”, OG decried, adding: “It took a protest and a petition by OccupyGhana® on 16th May 2017 for her to be charged with the proper offences under the Minerals and Mining Act, which, as we will show, provides for serious punishment for illegal mining”. The group said it believes that Aisha Huang’s “quiet and hurried deportation by the government was to avoid subjecting her to the full rigours of the law”. “We insist that that unfortunate truncation of the judicial process sounded the death knell to the galamsey fight”, it noted. Read OccupyGhana’s full statement below: 4TH MAY 2021 OCCUPYGHANA® PRESS STATEMENT GOVERNMENT, APPLY THE LAW ON ILLEGAL MINING! OccupyGhana® is shocked to see pictures and films in which equipment allegedly being used in galamsey operations and apparently seized by security officials, have been set on fire. While these dramatic optics might have the support of some, we think that it is a brazen illegality that will only exacerbate the situation and not help in the fight against galamsey. The government’s epileptic and faltering fight [against] galamsey gives the impression that it is unwilling to follow and apply the law. When Aisha Huang was first arrested, she was charged with some ludicrous, risible and insignificant administrative breaches of immigration regulations. It took a protest and a petition by OccupyGhana® on 16th May 2017 for her to be charged with the proper offences under the Minerals and Mining Act, which, as we will show, provides for serious punishment for illegal mining. We believe that her quiet and hurried deportation by the government was to avoid subjecting her to the full rigours of the law. We insist that that unfortunate truncation of the judicial process sounded the death knell to the galamsey fight. But the law in the Minerals and Mining Act is clear. There is a fine and imprisonment between 15 and 25 years for each of the following crimes: buying or selling minerals without a licence or authority; mining in breach of the law; abetting any breach of the mining law; contracting a non-Ghanaian to provide mining support services; abetting the breach of the mining laws by a foreigner; fabricating or manufacturing floating platforms or other equipment to be used for mining in our water bodies; and providing an excavator for an illegal mining operation. The Act further provides that a non-Ghanaian who illegally mines or abets illegal mining attracts a large fine and imprisonment between 20 and 25 years, and shall be deported AFTER serving the sentence. This is what should have been applied to Aisha Huang. Also, and of particular importance to us, is the legal provision that equipment used in any of these offences is required to be first seized and kept in police custody. Then, when the person using the equipment for the illegal mining activity is convicted, the court will order the forfeiture of the equipment the state. Then the Minister has 60 days within which to allocate the equipment to a state institution. There is absolutely no legal room for simply torching the equipment. It is illegal and must stop forthwith. We think that all the efforts to end illegal mining will not achieve anything until we resolve to simply enforce the law. If the security agencies make arrests and the law is not applied, it weakens their resolve and says to all that we are not serious about ending this menace. And the judiciary should need no encouragement to try cases with dispatch so that Ghanaians can see results in real-time. It cannot be business as usual. We have two simple messages for the government –(1) Galamsey is illegal: the fight against it cannot be based on illegality and, (2) If you want to win the fight against Galamsey, APPLY THE LAW.. Still in the service of God and Country OccupyGhana® Classfm Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
‘I no dey believe prophesies again’ – Visually impaired lady speaks after her encounter with pastor
A visually impaired lady has suggested there’s no way she will ever believe prophecies any longer after her encounter with a pastor recently. According to the lady whose Twitter ID is@The_Chiamaka, she once attended a church where the pastor made her drop her glasses on the altar assuring her this religious ritual will restore her eyesight. Unfortunately, nothing of that sort happened, and eventually- she has to rely on spare glasses her father brought to her on campus. “One time I left my glasses at the altar in redemption camp because of faith, my Dad was in school the next day with my spare glasses because I was blind o. Omo I no dey believe anybody and their Daddy prophesies again.” Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Ken Ofori-Atta revelation after a return from U.S hospital
Ken Ofori Ghana Finance Minister-Atta has said he appreciated the need for investment in the country’s health infrastructure during his five weeks in the US hospital. The finance minister made confession when addressing the Festschrift in honour of Rev. Prof. J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu, President of the Trinity Theological Seminary in Accra. “In my five weeks at the Mayo Clinic where they have three shields; faith, hope and science, I came to really understand the nexus between finance and health, and the need for us as a country to be bold about our health infrastructure and our ministry finding every way to be able to fund that, so we protect our citizens.” He confessed On Valentine’s Day this year, the Ministry of Finance issued a statement to inform the general public and stakeholders that Mr Ofori-Atta, who was, at the time, the representative of the President at the Ministry of Finance and Minister-designate for Finance, was to travel to the United States of America today for “a special medical review”. The statement said after recovering from COVID-19 last December, Mr Ofori-Atta had medical complications which doctors advised, required further interventions not currently available in Ghana. The complications delayed Mr Ofori-Atta’s vetting by Parliament’s Appointments Committee which became the talk of Ghana as NDC faithful thought it was a calculated attempt by Ken to skip vetting. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093
Robert Ajane Praised past governments for improved education development up north (WATCH VIDEO)
A retired educationist Robert Ajane education in Upper East said, he has seen some tremendous development over the past years with the effort of the past governments. Mr. Ajane who was speaking in an engagement with Apexnewsgh-Tv maintained that in the past there was no University found within the northern zone. Adding that currently, the people of Upper East can boost of two universities. “Today am happy, that despite that we should praise past government because of the following: we didn’t have the University anywhere in the north, as we speak in Bolga, we have a technical university, we have a University in Navrongo, we have a University in Waa. You see, indirectly that is the path. You see before, the northerners have to travel down south to seek for places, and they couldn’t get. But easily, they can walk in. So, who will say this is not development? He asked However, he still insist development is rather widening the gap between the north and the south. “We have vied the type of development that is rather widening the gap between the north and the south and I have right to say that and I would never regret saying that. I haven’t seen any movement that is bringing this together. He stressed Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093