Week 33 - Religion, Mosques, Homowo Festival & Fire Safety

RELIGION IN GHANA

According to (state.gov) the 2021 government census for Ghana, approximately 71 percent of the population are Christian, 20 percent Muslim, 3 percent adhere to indigenous or animistic religious beliefs, and 6 percent belong to other religious groups or have no religious beliefs.  Smaller religious groups include Baha’is, Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, and followers of Shintoism, Eckankar, and Rastafarianism.  

Many individuals who identify as Christian or Muslim also practice some aspects of indigenous beliefs.  There is no significant link between ethnicity and religion, but geography is often associated with religious identity. Christians reside throughout the country; a majority of Muslims reside in the urban centers of Accra, Kumasi, and Sekondi-Takoradi and in the northern regions. Most followers of traditional religious beliefs reside in rural areas.

GRAND MOSQUE

Saturday, we were invited to tour the Ghana National Mosque here in Accra.  It is the 2nd largest mosque in West Africa.  The construction began in 2012 by the Muslim community, but was abondoned after about 10 yrs because of lack of funds.  It was eventually funded by the Turkish Hudai Foundation in Accra with support of the Turkish government. 

 

The current Chief Imam of Ghana is Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu and is 104 yrs old.  His personal assistant Dr. Mohammed Marzuq Abubakar Azindoo, gave us a beautiful tour of the mosque.  The one thing that stood out to me as they spoke, is how much they want to be accepting of all people, and work together to find peace in the world.  Marzuq embraced Jordan with one of the biggest hugs of kindness I have seen.  It was beautiful to watch this humble man, show love unfettered in such a beautiful action.  Jordan felt his love immediately.    

HOMOWO FESTIVAL 

For the past two weeks, getting to church has been a bit of a challenge.  The road we take is quite narrow.  Cars park on both sides of the street and generally, it is barely wide enough for 2 cars to pass by each other, very closely.  Now because of the Homowo festival, there are tents lining one side of the street making it almost impossible for one car to pass through.  Today was the final day of this festival.

The word Homowo (Homo – hunger, wo – hoot) can mean “to hoot (or jeer) at hunger” in the Ga language. The tradition of Homowo started with a period of hunger leading to famine due to failure of the seasonal rains needed by crops in the Greater Accra Region, where the Ga people predominantly dwell. When the rains returned to normal, the Ga people celebrated by creating the Homowo festival, hence its name and meaning.

Homowo is greatly celebrated in all the towns in the Ga state. The celebration begins with the planting of maize (corn), which will be used in preparing the food for the festival named Kpokpoi or Kpekple (seen below). 

During this period, noise making is prohibited or banned since it is believed that it disturbs the gods. The meal is eaten with Palm Nut Soup and it is also sprinkled within the town. This is normally done by traditional leaders and family heads. Celebration includes marching down roads and streets beating drums, chanting, face painting, singing and traditional dances. Even though the celebration of Homowo is a Ga tradition, many other ethnic groups are welcomed to also join in the celebration. The Homowo festival of the Ga tribe is believed to have a lineage from the Jewish tribe and its ancestral tradition of the Jewish Passover feast.

Since the church building we meet in, in the city of La, has no air conditioning and we are not too far off the ocean coastline, the open windows and seabreeze are the only way to catch a break from the heat.  With the wide open windows, we have heard all of the celebrations going on for the past two Sundays!  It has been a party for sure!!  Kinda seems like a Thanksgiving celebration to me!

FIRE SAFETY

We drive by this sign on the way home from church every week, and every week Jordan mentions it and laughs.  I had to take a pic of it today.  So, for all of you that thought it was safe....

FINAL THOUGHT

"Pure religion is learning the gospel of Jesus Christ and then putting it into action. Nothing will ever be of real benefit to us until it is incorporated into our own lives.

It seems to me there has never been a period in history when it has been more important for us to be engaged in pure religion as taught by the Savior. This religion is not to retaliate, or to exchange in kind, evil actions or unkind statements. Pure religion encompasses the ability to cherish, to build up, and to turn the other cheek in place of destroying and tearing down. Blessed are they who strive to serve Him without wasting time faulting Him or those who serve Him."  --Marvin J. Ashton