30/07/2025
THE FINAL CALL! From the Chief Imaam office
Imaam Ali Krayee write ✍️
Today, Muslims across the country joined other Liberians by gathering in mosques to pray for the nation in compliance with the mandate of His Excellency the President and in fulfilment of our patriotic responsibility. But even as we observed another holiday declared through a Presidential decree, many Liberian Muslims were deeply unhappy. Let's be clear; we recognize and appreciate the many good things the Government has done for the Muslim Community - very successful Hajj programs, appointment to high profile positions and recognition in many other ways. Muslims know that unprecedented progress has been made in the way they are treated and are therefore very grateful. We also remain committed to helping the Government achieve its development agenda and to maintain the peace in the country. Our people are however frustrated over successive governments' lack of interest in granting them the most important thing on their priority list - the declaration of Eid as holiday. We have said again and again that this is not just a demographic issue, it's mainly an indigenous and citizenship rights affair.
With the declaration of today''s holiday, it's now apparent that a holiday can be declared for almost ANYTHING, ANYHOW and for ANY REASON, as long as it is not ISLAM. A holiday was even declared in this country to celebrate a FOOTBALL VICTORY! It is well known that Muslims pray five times a day. It is also important to state that we always pray for Liberia. We take a whole month every year to fast and pray. But even after that, we cannot celebrate in a befitting way because on the day of Eid, some of our people have to go to work while our children go to school most of the time. In this age of artificial intelligence, we still have educated and "intelligent" people who think that this is normal and that the nation must move on.
178 years of independence was celebrated less than a week ago in style, just as "we" celebrated for 133 years, pretending for the most part that all was well. The mentality then, as it is today, has been that, "as long as it's well with me and people of my kind, others have to understand and accept the status quo".
The struggle for Muslim rights in Liberia started decades ago. Some of us got involved during the Administration of President Taylor. Though politicians have always said that they consider all Liberians to be equal, they know that it's merely a political statement and that the reality is completely different. It must be said, though, that not all politicians in Liberia hate Islam. Some are simply aware of the anti-Muslim sentiments in our society and so they try to avoid backlash from certain quarters. These politicians know that many of our compatriots believe that Muslims should only be tolerated and accommodated to a certain degree. As long as it's so and Muslims accept their status as de facto second-class citizens, it's "All hail Liberia hail!" and thus we should all join to celebrate this "glorious land of Liberty by God's command".
In a clear demonstration of ignorance and shameless hypocrisy, some of those who wish Muslims "happy Ramadan" are among the very people who are vehemently opposed to any suggestion of declaring Eid a holiday! To them, it's too much to ask for. Why? They believe that we don't really belong here. In their view, whatever is done for Muslims is just a favor for which we must be grateful. Just imagine; I'm Krayee - a natural born citizen of Toe Town, Gbarzon District, Grand Gedeh County. My father served as Paramount Chief in this country for most of the Tubman-Tolbert era. In spite of that, whenever I stand up for my rights and speak about holidays for Muslims so that I won't always have to beg school authorities to allow my children celebrate Eid with me, I'm told that I should go to Guinea! This provocation underscores the chronic nature of the problem we are dealing with.
There's no doubt that the Government has both the constitutional mandate and the means to act. Why successive governments have virtually treated the holiday issue as a taboo subject remains a puzzle. Whatever the case, I'm convinced that this matter would have been resolved a long time ago if the Muslims of Liberia were willing to take the necessary steps. As we speak of necessary steps, let's be clear that we have been peaceful despite 178 years of discrimination and humiliation. It's the exceptional patience of Muslims that has spared this country any form of religious conflict. We do this because of Islamic teachings and because we love Liberia. And so we assure our people and the international community of our determination to remain peaceful for as long as it takes to get all of our rights. We must and will always be law-abiding. But we must act, and act decisively in order to spare our grand and great-grandchildren the humiliating nightmare of de facto second-class citizenship. The Government and people of this country must be made to understand that we are in the 21st century!
During the next few weeks or months, we will be holding strategic meetings with various stakeholders in the Muslim Community on the way forward. Other patriotic and conscious Liberians, as well as members of the international community, will also be actively engaged. We have started today and there will be neither pause nor turning back until this mission is accomplished, insha Allah. We will mobilize all progressive forces and all resources at our disposal to bring an end to this unwarranted distraction in a country that boasts of being the oldest independent republic in Africa. In the meantime, let's continue to be calm and do our best to ignore all provocations. Allah says, "...You will certainly hear many painful things from those who were given the book before you and from the polytheists. But if you are patient and God-fearing, that will be a decisive factor in all affairs" (Qur'an 3:186). May Allah always be our Guide and Helper.
Liberia Islamic Media
