Interview Summary

Zacharia Abdul Rahman is Mallam at Bantama Central Mosque in Kumasi. He leads the mosque every Friday before the Imam takes over. Zacharia Abdul Rahman takes great care in explaining the tenets of Islam, particularly distinguishing between terrorism and the teachings of Islam. He emphasizes that Islam means "peace," and that one of the central tenets is to love your fellow neighbor regardless of his/her background or beliefs.

He warns against those with Islamic names who are not Muslim and tarnish Islam. He also draws parallels between the Koran and the Bible, emphasizing that Muslims accept all the prophets.

Yakubu Salihu explains that Palestinians make bombs for revenge of personal suffering, not because of Islam. He says the Iraq-USA war started because Saddam Hussein refused to replace Sharia law with democracy.

Z. A. Rahman then further explains the benefits of Sharia law.

"As a Muslim, your hands do not bother anyone, your mouth should not hurt anyone, your legs should not bother anyone, don't cheat, don't beat anyone, don't kill anyone, you see, this is what we call Muslim."

"Everyone has their rules in their religion. Look at the Bible, the Koran, in all of them you will see that it’s the same road, but different ways of worshiping God."

"The people that you saw here, we all don’t speak one language, every one has their own town's language that they speak, but because of Islam we are all one. When you speak I hear, when they also speak I understand. God says he has put us all together because of Islam; Islam loves togetherness."

"Koran teaches us that we should come together, we should pray together, this one from here, that one is not from my town, this one from Germany, German, I don't like an American, I don’t like Russia, God says no, you shouldn't do that, he doesn't like that, we are all descendants of Adam, because you are all descendants of Adam, you should came together, when you come together and do something it will go well."

"Islam is not using a gun to kill someone; Islam is not using a bomb on you to blast and kill people; that is not Islam."

"When you say you are a good Muslim with the correct Islam, when you talk or say something, it brings what, peace. We call it Islam, which means peace. When you become a part of it, you are called Muslim, the peaceful person, so the religion is peace. So the worship is peace; it's not any vagabonds; it's not a desire to kill people. That is not what Islam is about. Islam is peace. Everywhere in the world that we live, we live in peace. This is what is called Islam.”