Muslims Angry with Agya Koo

Mallam Issah, a popular movie in which Adu Kofi, also called Agya koo, posed as a Muslim cleric has incurred the displeasure of the Moslem community in the Kumasi metropolis.

The United Form for Islamic Affairs, a movement for all Muslims (Al-sunna Waljamah), Tijaniyya, Council of Zongo Elders, etc), has demanded the withdrawal of this and others like Rakiya, Asante Kramo and Agya Koo Makaranta as well as related advertisement from the market.

This followed an emergency meeting on Tuesday organized by the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) with the Film Producers Association of Ghana and the United Forum for Islamic Affairs at which the film makers apologized to Moslem community and agreed to have the movies withdrawn. The timely intervention of REGSEC averted a possible mayhem in the metropolis as some irate moslem youth had planned to attack the film maker for ridiculing island religion in the films.

Present at the meeting were Sheikh Kamil Mohammed Kamil, Regional Imam for the Al-Sunna Waljamah, Malam Yusif Alhassan, Chairman for the United Forum for Islamic Affairs and executives of the Film Producers Association. The moslem leaders accused the film makers of using the movies to cast a slur on the integrity of moslems. In direct reference to the Malam Isaah movie they said that Agya Koo was not performing salat (muslim prayer) with seriousness because he was fighting while praying. Again they said a Mallam is a scholar who has studied and understood the principles of the Islamic faith such that he can impart knowledge to others but the character in the film was not.

The spokesperson for the United Form for Islamic Affairs, Mallam Yusif said “the moslem community is sad that in the film, Christianity is portrayed as superior to Islam in the character of the reverend father but Mallam Issah is portrayed as somebody in the Stone Age. The Moslem leaders therefore cautioned film makers to be wary of movies and much which attack other religions and advised them to consult relevant authorities before embarking on film projects. In a letter dated December 8, 2010, the film makers rendered unqualified apology to the moslem community for any embarrassment the films might have caused.

Source: The G. Times