Muslim Council Chairman Blasts Chief Imam Krayee

Imam Abdulai Massaray Council Chairman reacts to Imam Ali Krayee’s threats

The National Muslim Council of Liberia has strongly reacted to what the public see as “Threats” made by the Chief Imam of Liberia, Ali Krayee, in demand for a holiday for Muslims in the country.

At the end of Ramadan every year, Krayee and the Muslim community always demand a national holiday for the Muslims, sometimes threatening that if a law is not enacted to give a holiday to Muslims, they will use other means to create holidays for the Muslims at the end of Ramadan and Abraham Days.

Imam Abdulai Massaray, Council Chairman, who spoke to a team of reporters at a news conference in Monrovia, said the Muslim community has followed with disdain continuous statements of agitation and threats emanating from Imam Krayee concerning a call by Muslims for the government to grant through legislation a national holiday during the observances of Ramadan and Abraham Days.

At the end of Ramadan this year, Imam Ali Krayee reiterated the call on government to grant Muslims a holiday, stressing that if the National Legislature fails to enact laws declaring the end of Ramadan and Abraham Day as national holidays in Liberia, the Muslim community will use other alternative means to ensure that they have holidays.  In fact, Imam Krayee assured his fellow Muslims that before the end of Ramadan 2022, they would have a holiday.

Sheik Massaray noted that while many Muslims may consider this a genuine call, the council holds the belief that the approach employed by Imam Krayee has the propensity to create acrimony in the society and does not represent the views and position of the entire Muslim community in Liberia. 

The National Muslim Council of Liberia Chairman applauded the efforts of all those who have lawfully 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 the country. 

He maintained that the council believes that the recent outbursts by Imam Krayee, using the pulpit to throw inflammatory words to people of other faiths, are considered an act of provocation and must be vehemently condemned. 

Sheik Massaray indicated that such gushing has the propensity to undermine the true and genuine spirit that characterizes the formation of what is now referred to as the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia.  

According to Chairman Massaray, there is no justification for such an unwholesome attack on the people of the Christian community in the name of delivering a sermon in total disregard to the correlation existing between the two faiths through the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia.

“In view of the aforesaid, the National Muslim Council of Liberia calls on Imam Ali Krayee to refrain from making utterances that have the proclivity to undermine the peace and threaten the security of the state, and adopt a more civil approach in addressing issues of national concern,” Massaray said. 

He added that as people of peace, Muslims are expected to serve as ambassadors as well as catalysts in the attainment, promotion, and maintenance of peace and stability, and to champion religious harmony and tolerance.   

He, however, lauded  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’s 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, something he said is not only laudable but a true manifestation of the understanding of his role as a representative of people of that county. 

He further called on other members of the 54th National Legislature to give their support to the efforts employed by patriotic and peace-loving Liberians in achieving this noble effort.