The head of the National Chief Imam Council of Liberia, Ali Krayee, says no one challenges God therefore, Muslims will make sure to pray and come next Ramadan, there will be a national holiday for Muslims in the Republic of Liberia.
Imam Krayee assured Muslims in the country that the issue of having a national Muslim holiday will be resolved next year because they have used every means to demand that the government declares national Islamic holidays but to no avail.
”Our children cannot continue to worry whether or not to attend the Ramadan prayer or to take their exams, in fact the Muslims were the one who build the foundation of the country, and our Muslims forefathers were here in some of the counties like, Gbapolu County, Cape Month County, Lofa County, and Bomi Count before the Christians could come” he mentioned.
However, he promised that they will continue to be peaceful and contribute positively to the development of this nation noting that their year of peacefulness in the country will not be jeopardize because freedom is expensive, so they will maintain the peace.
Ali Krayee said providing the Muslims holiday will not only demonstrate that they too are Liberians, but it will give them equal rights as citizens.
He spoke on Friday during programs marking the climax of this year’s Ramadan on Benson Street and pointed out, “This government and successive governments often ignored our calls for Muslim holidays in the country. We say this because when we speak, we are considered troublemakers.”
The Liberian Muslim recounted that President George Weah once declared holiday in the country just for winning a football match while ”In 2017 during Ma Ellen regime, we made a call for Muslim holidays but instead she distributed bags of rice among us without saying anything about our holiday request,” he expressed.
He continued that such request was made again in 2018 and all the government could do was to distribute thousands of bags rice to them without granting their request pointing out, ”Again, the same request was made in 2019 and all they could do was to distribute thousands bags of rice and forgot about our request.”
He stated that in 2020, they reiterated their plights for Islamic holiday but the government pretended as if they never heard them and rather distributed bags of rice but in a strong worded statement, the head of the Chief Imam Council reiterated that if the government cannot give them their desire, they will not receive rice during Ramadan.
“This year, we told the government to take their bags of rice and give us holiday,” he said.
Imam Krayee mentioned further that their rights as citizens to this country have been taken evidenced by the refusal of government to share national holidays between the Muslims and Christians due to self-interest.
”We the Muslims have all been peaceful in this country. We all will continue to be peaceful no matter what and if there will be any chaos in the country it will not come from the Muslims” he promised.
”As it is said in the Quran and Bible do not be deceived because whatever you sow you shall reap, the president should see reasons to declare national holiday for Muslims because he has the power, even the legislature can do the same” he explained.
He added that some of their children who are students are constrain to take exams on Ramadan day instead of praying along with them, which makes them feel like they are foreigners in their own country.
Buttressing the Imam Council, the Grand Mufti Sheikh Abubakar M.D. Sumaworo also reiterated his call on Central Government to ensure that there be an enactment by the Legislature holidays like for Ramadan and Abraham Day to be enacted into law through a bill as it is long overdue.
He emphasized that when Ramadan and or Abraham Day are enacted as National Holidays in the country, it will afford Muslim students as well to observe these sacred events without being marked absent at non-Islamic learning institutions as has been the case, thus resulting to demotion of Muslim students at some schools.
“This”, Grand Mufti Sumaworo said, “Needs to be discouraged by authorities at non-Islamic schools so as to enable Muslim students turn out in full to observe the month of Ramadan/Abraham Day without being barred from adhering to practices of their religious faith in Liberia.”
Meanwhile, the Grand Mufti, Sumaworo, in his end of Ramadan sermon delivered at the Heritage Mosque on Gurley Street entreated Muslims to resist any form of manipulation, be it political by individuals meant to sow seeds of division amongst members of the Muslim Community.
Grand Mufti Sumaworo also sounded a warning to Imams or Islamic religious leaders against allowing people or politicians to use the podium at various mosques for their personal aggrandizement adding that, there should be no such case to destructively get at government under the banner of concerned Muslims, against the teachings of Islam which promotes peace/unity among mankind.
The acclaimed Islamic cleric/scholar opined that what Muslims in Liberia deserve is total recognition of Islam by government, human rights protection and access to legal land ownership, but not political manipulation by individuals to put members of the Muslim Community at loggerheads in the society.
He said in that this year’s observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan was peaceful, therefore, there is a need for Liberian Muslims to co-exist by being their brother’s keeper; shun violence and remain law-abiding because, according to him, Islam is fast taking root in the country as it is predominantly present in over five counties in the nation.