Cardinal: Ghana's Catholics learn Islamic texts to further dialogue

Published: 2007-10-16

LONDON (CNS) -- Catholics in Ghana are being taught the Quran and Islamic scriptures to further interreligious dialogue and community cohesion, said the country's first cardinal. Cardinal Peter Turkson of Cape Coast, Ghana, said in an Oct. 15 interview with Catholic News Service that relations between Catholics and Muslims in Ghana were "pretty cordial," but he acknowledged that rising Islamic militancy around the world presented new challenges to relations between Christians and Muslims in his country. Cardinal Turkson said that any rising tensions were being countered by a "dynamic program of action." The cardinal said, "We are promoting the study of the Quran among Catholics so there is no ignorance about or intolerance of what it stands for." He added, "We have what we call a dialogue of action." Catholics account for 15 percent of the predominantly Christian West African nation's nearly 23 million people. Muslims make up about 16 percent of the population.

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