The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, has cautioned that the controversial teaching that a person should be killed over unacceptable utterances about Islam is not standard Islamic teaching.

His spokesperson, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, spoke to Peace FM, calling on security agencies to question the imam at the centre of the controversy.

"The IGP and the security agencies must invite him and question him over his reason and authority for saying those things. And they should find out from him what a Christian said to cause his anger and words. He needs to reveal all of that for all of us to know," he said.

"What he said does not agree with the foundation and teachings of Islam," he added, quoting a passage from the Quran to underline how Islam teaches that God sent Prophet Mohammed to be a symbol of mercy for humanity.

"God's mercy is forgiveness and love. How is it that the one sent on such a mission would ask for the beheading of someone because his name was dishonoured? Where then is the mercy?" he asked.

What the imam said

The imam at the centre of the controversy, in a viral video, said categorically that killing those who insult Prophet Mohammed is an Islamic teaching, "and you'll find out same if you ask any mallam [Islamic teacher]." He encouraged his audience to obey this teaching and not fear Ghanaian law enforcement, telling them their reward for the extrajudicial act would be heaven.

He brought up an unnamed man in the Kotokoli community — a man given an Islamic name by his parents — who he claimed had been going around and on social media telling people Mohammed "was promiscious and slept with his daughter-in-law" and that "Islam is the worst form of worship in the world."

In his apology, the imam said he had been incensed by this but accepted that the prescribed Islamic punishment could not be carried out because Ghana has its own Constitution.

Apology rejected

Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu rejected the imam's apology and repeated his call for police to question him. He said the preaching had already gone out and could have influenced people, and warned he did not want to see religious instability in Ghana of the kind observed in Nigeria.

"His retraction is not enough because what he said has already been accepted by some people," he said.

"We've seen what's happened in Nigeria."