A female Muslim youth leader has accused Muslim elite in the country of neglecting and abusing Muslim youth, particularly those in the Zongo communities. Laurat Passah is a female Muslim youth and CEO of Premium Debit Consult (PDC), who told Adom News that “there are so many Muslim professionals in this country but they refuse to associate themselves with the Muslim communities in positive ways.” She said on the contrary, those very Muslim elite connive with their political cohorts to take advantage of the high illiteracy and poverty in the Zongo communities to instigate the youth against their political opponents for a pittance. “This is one of the major reasons the Muslim youth are associated with the negativities that PDC is trying to erase,” she said. Laurat Passah noted that it was unfortunate that Muslim youth dominate in social vices like “sakawa” (cyber fraud), violent acts, stealing and several other lawless acts including the infamous political foot soldierism. She observed that part of the reasons was also because most Muslim youth truncate their education to either get married or to pursue some vocation like football or petty trading. “As a result of early truncation of education most of the Muslim youth resort to begging for alms from the elite and that is one of the reasons the elite also avoid the Zongo communities even to the extent of some passively denying the religion,” she said. Laurat Passah said PDC is working to change that trend and restore the dignity to the Muslim youth and Muslim communities across the country. She said PDC begun that process by organizing the first ever National Muslim Awards to whip up the spirit of excellence in academia, business, philanthropy, religion and others in the Muslim youth. “This year we are bringing in the US-based world renowned Muslim Scholar and Motivational Speaker Abu Mohammad Khalid Yasin to deliver two lectures on 'faith and belief'.” She says the lectures, dubbed “Al-Kalimah” are slated for March 11, 2011 at University of Ghana, Legon, for the youth, and March 12, 2011 at the National Theatre for adults. Laurat Passah noted that wherever Dr. Yasin had spoken, people had converted and done very positive things. “We trust that the lectures will facilitate the change process among the youth in the huge way and also touch the Muslim elite who have neglected the youth to have a change of heart,” she said. Story by Samuel Nii Narku Dowuona/Adom News/Ghana