President John Dramani Mahama has warned that tensions involving a pastor and an imam must not damage Ghana’s long-standing record of peaceful coexistence between Christians, Muslims and people of other faiths.
Speaking at the opening of the 32nd Biennial General Council Meeting of the Assemblies of God, Ghana, at Gomoa Fetteh on Thursday, 20 August 2026, President Mahama said comments attributed to the two religious figures, followed by reports of physical assaults, were deeply unfortunate.
He said the incidents should remind the country that religious tolerance could not be treated as something guaranteed indefinitely.
“Such incidents must never be allowed to define relations between Christians and other religions in this country,” President Mahama said.
For generations, he noted, people of different faiths had lived alongside one another in Ghana, sharing families, schools, workplaces, security services and public institutions.
The President described that peaceful coexistence as one of the country’s most important national assets. He said it was the responsibility of all Ghanaians to protect it, particularly when disagreements involving religious figures risked escalating into wider tensions.
Ghana’s Constitution protects freedom of religion and allows individuals to express their faith, President Mahama said. However, he stressed that those rights did not permit anyone to insult another person’s beliefs, encourage violence or take the law into their own hands.
“Religious conviction must never become religious provocation,” he said.
President Mahama warned that disputes must not be allowed to turn into hatred, intimidation or assault.
“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.”
He called on pastors, imams and other religious leaders to show restraint and responsibility, especially when making public comments or using social media.
Statements made from church pulpits, in mosques or on online platforms could travel quickly and inflame public feeling, he said. The consequences could extend far beyond what the speaker originally intended.
The President said religious leaders, including the National Chief Imam and others, would work to encourage reconciliation and a peaceful settlement of the matter involving those concerned.
At the same time, he insisted that the legal process must be allowed to proceed fairly and impartially.
President Mahama also urged religious communities to help educate the next generation about the value of diversity. Differences in faith, he said, should not be viewed as a weakness but as a source of national strength when supported by mutual respect.
His remarks came as the Assemblies of God, Ghana, considered the future direction of the Church at its biennial meeting.
He encouraged the denomination to remain committed to prayer, evangelism and goodwill, while ensuring that its faith was reflected in practical efforts to promote peace, support vulnerable people and contribute to Ghana’s national development.
