An Islamic Cleric at Wa in the Upper West Region, Sheik Shaban Mohammed Alhassan has called for the establishment of counselling units at the various central mosques across the country, equipped with professional Islamic counsellors to attend to adherents with issues of domestic abuse.

The Cleric was of the view that as a result of customs, traditions and religious misinterpretations, many people who were abused in their marital homes, particularly women were unable to seek redress from the appropriate quarters and said a recognised unit at the mosque for that purpose would go a long way to assist such victims.

He said that a female victim of domestic violence with physical abuse and marital rape would be faulted by society if she reported the incident to the police and so would recoil and endure the pain, other than report the perpetrator to the law enforcers.

“When people are abused, they sometimes fall on the Clerics who may not necessarily be professional counsellors. There is the difference between giving advice and giving counselling; people who have been abused need professional help so a recognised unit dedicated for the purpose at our places of worship will go a long way to help adherents”, he said.

Sheik Alhassan made the call during a panel discussion on sexual and gender based violence at Wa. The programme which was organised by the Network for Young Women Empowerment (NYWE) sought to discuss issues of concern to women and empower them to report abuse cases in order to restore their sanity in society.

The cleric indicated that the provision of counselling units at the various mosques would provide an avenue for victims to report their cases for immediate action and said professionals were good at handling victims and keeping the issues to themselves.

“Abuse can lead to permanent physical and mental injuries and even deaths in some cases so it requires the necessary attention to ensure that victims receive help on time”, he said.

Sheik Alhassan stated that adherents would trust such centres and would not hesitate to approach them with their concerns and said even if the counsellors were unable to resolve the issues through counseling, they would encourage the victims to seek help from the right quarters.

He called on men to respect the rights of women, give them the platform to exhibit their capacities and also empower them economically in order to make them less vulnerable to abuse.

Adding his voice, the Head Pastor of the Ghana Baptist Convention at Wa, Reverend Amos Sunday, admonished husbands to love their wives as God had instructed in the Holy Bible and treat them with utmost respect.

He called for an end to physical abuse and domestic violence but advised that issues of misunderstanding should be resolved through negotiations and proper communication.

The chairperson of the NYWE, Ms Ida Nakaar, said her outfit was interested in empowering young ladies to stand up against abuses, demand for their rights and lobby for opportunity to participate in discussions that concerned their well-being.

From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa