As long as we believe in something...

Last week was the end of the Ramadan, the Eid celebration for all the Ghanaian Muslims. It stroked me to know that the day was decided to be a national bank holiday. Of course it doesn’t mean that all the shops were closed, that the country stopped working for the celebration but it felt the same way as a Good Friday or Easter Monday. Only half of the tro-tros were on the road, most offices were closed and we could spot the Muslims in our regular little shops. Who was working or not? The fruit lady next door, the red-red lady at the corner of the street… It was probably easier for us in Darkuman since it is the biggest Muslim community in Accra. So true that we were told about the venue of all Muslims from all corners of the capital to celebrate the end of the Ramadan.

But before describing the street celebrating, my reflection started by noticing that most countries in Europe call themselves multi-religion, tolerant for all beliefs, congratulate themselves for respecting and placing all religions on an equal foot. In France and Spain, the second biggest religion is Islam. But how many of those so called tolerant countries have Eid as a bank holiday. And on the other way around, how many Christian days are actual bank holidays. Let’s try to count them in France: Christmas, Easter, Ascension, Saint Mary, All Saints. Correct me if I’m wrong or if I have forgotten some. This gives us 5 Christian Bank holidays against zero Muslim bank holidays. Does that mean that all Muslims residing in France have to take a normal holiday in order to attend the prayer at the mosque and the festivities in their own communities? Are we really on an equal foot?

Ghana is the country where for the first time I felt that the two monotheist religions were just two neighbours with different interests, who live their lives differently because of their own interpretation of the environment but who understand and respect each other because they live under the same sky and sun whose light shines over both houses and lives. So when one of them is celebrating its belief and lifestyle, the other one comes to pay respectto his neighbour. That’s what it feels like here in Ghana, and it is one of the most fervent populations I have experienced. Everything relates to God or Allah. Their personal lives, their work, their transport… All shops, cars and tro-tros mention god in their name: “God first motor shop”, “God is able”, “Only god makes fast food”, “Praise the lord”, “God is good”, “Allah is great”…

On Sundays and most of the days, you can hear churches singing and prayers coming from all directions. In Ghana there are probably hundreds of different denominations, with the classical and traditional Protestants, Catholics, Anglicans and Methodists neighbouring the new and popular charismatic churches: Winners Chapel, The Lighthouse Chapel International…

In tro-tros, anytime of the week and day, nicely dressed men stand in middle of the seats and preach the lord’s word. Sacred landmarks and crossroads of the city have their own two or three preachers, men and women, shouting, praying, and singing in a microphone, for the whole day. I always wonder about the extent of their imagination and their knowledge of the bible. They go from one chapter to another, quote the sacred words and interpret it by relating it to the reality of Ghana, the daily life of Ghanaians. The tro-tros are not only used by Christians and when we are taking them to Darkuman, they are probably more filled by Muslims than Christians, but everybody are listening the preacher with respect or at least ignore with respect. And I have to say that I have experienced some hard times supporting it, when the man is shouting in your ears an unknown language. Sometimes I wonder if the Muslims say amen to the prayers of the preacher. They probably do, as much as some Christians use Allah to greet their Muslim neighbours.

It’s almost like they are aware their gods are the same, they are just giving him a different name.

On Eid day celebrating the end of the fasting, the end of Ramadan, everybody was on the street, partying, dancing, showing off. The Christians were here to accompany their neighbours and friends in their beliefs, greeting them by "Barka Da Sallah" like in Nigeria.

Apart from the two Eid celebrations, the Muslims are very private in the practice of their religion. They is no questions, no judgment, no try of converting a non-believer. Of course, we can hear the mosque calling its followers few times a day, but it is called in Arabic, the original language for Islam, which could only be understood or spoken by Muslims here in Ghana.

Here and in Nigeria all beliefs are equals and the most important is that we believe in something. If we say to locals that we don’t believe there is a god, they’ll only be relieved until we explain that we believe in something else, in anything as long as we believe…

This question also brings us to the notion of development which, defined by the North, qualifies countries as developed or underdeveloped, depending on their wealth and their access to new technologies. I personally think that this tolerance of religious beliefs shows a very strong development of a culture or civilisation.

We are all at different stages of development in our own beliefs and behaviours. The measurer of development is not global but personal and private. No one is more developed than an other. We alone are judge of our own development, depending on our own expectations. 

The issue of this “developed” and “underdeveloped” countries is pretty much the cause of the poverty, corruption and conflict in the global south, or at least in Africa. Because all those countries are trying to catch up with the northern so-called development, while forgetting, rejecting and isolating their own cultures. Instead of trying to build a new alternative development, integrating their communities and environments. 

Such as having two religion cohabiting peacefully and respectfully, on an equal foot, which is almost unique in the world.