PHOTO: (L-R) Council’s Chair Imam Massaray and Imam Krayee
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The National Muslim Council of Liberia has strongly reacted to threats by the Chairman of the Imam Council of Liberia if the national legislature does not enact legislation declaring the end of Ramadan and Abraham Day as national holidays.
Recently, Imam Ali Krayee threatened to create chaos if the national legislature fails to enact laws declaring the end of Ramadan and Abraham Day of national holidays in Liberia.
In his 174th Independence Day message on July 26, President George Manneh Weah, without naming names, also criticized religious leaders who “are using their platforms to predict religious war”.
“We are all one people, irrespective of our political, ethnic or religious persuasions. Let me call on those religious leaders who are using their platforms to predict religious war, to instead use their influence to preach peace, prosperity and development. Today, Liberia is a nation that is at peace with itself, and with its neighbors. Let us all play our part to ensure that there will be no war again in our beloved country,” President Weah said in his address to the nation last Monday.
Addressing a press conference in Monrovia a day later on Tuesday, July 27, 2021, the Muslim Council’s Chairman, Imam Abdulai Massaray, said the Muslim community has followed with disdain continuous statements of agitation and threat emanating from Imam Krayee concerning call by Muslims for the government to grant through legislation national holidays during the observance of the end of Ramadan and Abraham Day.
Sheik Massaray noted that while many Muslims may consider this a genuine call, the council holds the believe that the approach employ by Imam Krayee has the propensity to create acrimony in the society and does not represent the views and position of the Muslim community in Liberia.
The National Muslim Council of Liberia Chairman applauded the efforts of all those who have lawfully engaged the engaged the requisite authority void of agitation and threats of violence, to ensure that their quest for holidays is channeled through the proper procedure as required by the organic law of Liberia.
He maintained that the council believes that the recent outburst by Imam Krayee using pulpit towards the people of other faith is considered as an act of provocation and must be vehemently condemned.
Sheik Massaray indicated that such threat would tend to undermine the true and genuine spirit that characterized the formation of what is now referred to as the Inter Religious Council of Liberia.
According to Chairman Massaray, there is and cannot any justification for such an unwholesome attack on the people of the Christian community in the name of delivering sermon in total disregard to the correlation subsisting between the two faiths through the Inter Religious Council of Liberia
In this light, the National Muslim Council of Liberia has called on Imam Ali Krayee to stop making utterances that have the propensity to undermine the peace and threaten the security of the state and adopt a more civil approach in addressing issues of national concern.
He added that as people of peace, Muslims are expected to serve as ambassador as well as catalyst in the attainment, promotion and maintenance of peace and stability and to champion religious harmony and tolerance.
Sheik Massaray expressed thanks and appreciation to Bomi County Senator, Edwin Snowe for the submission of a bill to the Liberian Senate seeking the endorsement of the national legislature for the passage of the law establishing the end of Ramadan and Abraham day as national holidays.
According to him, Senator Snowe’s adherence to the call of the Muslims of Bomi County is in fulfillment of his campaign promise is not only laudable, but a true manifestation of the understanding of his role as a representative of the people of that county.
The council called on other lawmakers to give their support to the efforts employed by patriotic and peace loving Liberians in achieving this noble effort.