Shia Muslims: “We Are Not Terrorists”

Sheikh Abubakar Sumaworo, Liberia's Grand Mufti, has been urged to retract his recent statements describing Shia Muslims as terrorists.

Sheikh Askary M. Kromah, a Liberian Shia Muslim leader, said at a press conference that Islam is a peaceful faith and that Shia Muslims in Liberia have coexisted peacefully with their brothers and sisters for more than seventeen years, with no history of being violent enmity. 

As Liberians, Sheikh Kromah stated that they are making every effort to maintain the peace, stability, and development of our beloved nation, Liberia, as evidenced by the construction and operation of schools, mosques, and hand pumps to supply communities with safe drinking water, and scholarships for orphans, among other things. 

Sheikh Kromah further stated that Shia Muslims in Liberia had never committed any violent activities. 

“As a religious group, we committed to maintain the current condition of peace. So we've come to clarify the Grand Mufti of Liberia, Sheikh Sumaworo's erroneous and misleading information about Shia Muslims in Liberia,” he stated. 

According to him, his comment comes in response to Sheikh Sumaworo Khutubah’s sermon during the Eid Al-Fitr Prayer on May 2, 2022, during which the Grand Mufti encouraged the Liberian government to prohibit Shia Muslims from working in the country, accusing them of being terrorists. 

He further said in his sermon that Shia are sects of Muslims that travel from one country to another, causing confusion among other Muslims, adding that they are often linked to terrorist groups, hence the Government of Liberia should not allow them into the country to establish mosques or schools.

“We are hearing that the jihad regime is about to spread in some parts of Africa and the information we gathered so far is that, wherever they reach, they can establish the jihad war, school, including mosque and these could subsequently lead to terrorism”, the Grand Mufti cautioned.

However, Sheikh Kromah explained that, “we Muslims, like all religious groups, pray in different ways, but we serve the same God, have the same prophet, Prophet Mohammed (S), the same Book (the Holy Quran), and so on. 

“However, we wish to unequivocally denounce the Grand Mufti of Liberia's unrestrained statement, since we consider his remark as an attempt to foment division and discord among the Muslims community in particular and Liberian society in general.” 

Furthermore, Sheikh Kromah said that they were astounded that the Grand Mufti of Liberia would choose an occasion like Eid Al-Fitr (the conclusion of Ramadan) to make such a statement rather than teaching peace, unity, and healing.

As a result, “we demand that he recant his comments (referring to Shia Muslims as terrorists).” 

They also urged all well-intentioned Liberians, including the National Muslim Council of Liberia, the National Imam Council of Liberia, the Inter-Religious Council, and the general public, to join them in vehemently condemning the Grand Mufti of Liberia’s actions, because “we know that his action does not represent the view of the Muslim Community in Liberia”. 

“Can we learn from our Christian brothers and sisters in Liberia, who have numerous denominations and have no problems?" he asked. 

Sheikh Kromah also used the platform to call on religious leaders and the government to issue a warning to the Grand Mufti and anyone who believes in him, as well as the rest of Liberia’s Muslims, to practice and preach their faith without verbally attacking and castigating others, as this is a recipe for religious conflict for which Liberia is unprepared.