President Koroma opens 53rd Jalsa Salana

President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma has called on the Ahmadiyya Mission to help sustain the worthy tradition of religious tolerance which Sierra Leone enjoys today.

“I am heartened by the presence of so many religious leaders here today. This is another affirmation of our country being one of the most religiously tolerant nations in the world. I call on all to sustain this worthy tradition,” President Koroma urged during the 53rd Jalsa Salana of the Ahmadiyya Mission in Sierra Leone on Friday 7th March in Bo City.

The President emphasized; “The world needs it, and we need to continue to inspire the world with this reality of people of different faiths living side by side in harmony, charity, and peace. I ask that we pray for this reality to become entrench in trouble spots of religious and sectarian conflict in Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere. We ask for your prayers for our compatriots in peacekeeping missions in other lands, and we pray that this country will continue to sustain its better traditions of tolerance and peace.”

President Koroma also stated that the annual gathering of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at in Sierra Leone has always been inspirational to all those who seek the divine virtues of tolerance and peaceful co-existence. “The theme of the Jalsa captures this great commitment of the Ahmadiyya Mission: Love for All, Hatred towards None.”

Giving a brief background to the development of Islam, President Koroma noted that the scholars of Islam tell us that the Qur’an instructs us to engage with each other by means that are better, by words that are kinder, and by actions that are nobler. “This is the true meaning of love for all, and hatred for none,” he said, and added that the Prophet of Islam showed this when he returned to Mecca from Madina where he showed nothing but compassion and was forgiving of those who had driven him out of the city of his birth.

“That example touched the hearts of many and thousands became Muslims. We have been told that true Islam is against extremism, and that is why the Qur’an refers to the Muslim Umma as the middle nation, a people that seek the middle way, a people that search for a common ground in their actions for peace, justice and charity. The Ahmadiyya Mission has been very true to this worthy tradition,” the President explained.

According to President Koroma, the scholars of Islam also tell us that the religion greatly values education, that the very first words of the Quran instructs us to read, to learn, to recite, and to make use of the pen. “We are heartened by the fact that the Ahmadiyya Mission has been paying heed to this primary injunction by opening and maintaining schools all over the country. In fact, in many places in our land, Ahmaddiyya is a byword for school, education and learning. My Government is committed to continuing to sustain this partnership for education with the mission. We have put more resources into education and ensured more enrolment rates in our schools than any other government. The challenge now is to ensure greater discipline, honesty and excellence in our education sector. I ask that you stay the course with us in this fight. Islam is a very disciplined religion; this is shown by the regularity of the times for salat, the reality of everybody facing the Kiblah and the straightness of the Safa during prayers. I ask that we continue to bring this discipline into our schools and colleges.”

President Koroma also mentioned the visit of the United Nations Secretary General who was in the country to formally close UNIPSIL’s operations and establish the United Nations Country Team. The ceremony, according to the President, showed that Sierra Leone is now a beacon of peace in the world; it was an indicator of our successful transition into a symbol of hope for all countries still rocked by armed conflicts. “But more than that it is also a challenge to all of us to continue to act for peace, for tolerance, for democracy, and for development,” he said.

Maulana Saeed-ur-Rahman, Amir & Missionary In-Charge dexterously steered the ceremony as Chairman.

Goodwill messages were delivered by the Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Alhaji Moijueh Kaikai, Mayor of Makeni City, on behalf of her colleague Mayors, Sunkarie Kabbah Kamara, Chairman of the National Council of Paramount Chiefs, P.C. Charles Caulker, the President of the Sierra Leone Muslim Congress, Dr Fadlu Deen, Chief Imam of Central Mosque, Alhaji Sheikh Tejan Sillah, and other important religious personalities, including the Inter-Religious Council’s General Secretary, Dr Rev. Usman Fornah.

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