Monrovia – Fifteen Muslim communities in Paynesville over the weekend endorsed the Presidential bid of Dr. J. Mills Jones for the 2017 general and Presidential elections.

The program which took place in the Neezoe community, Paynesville City brought together Muslims from diverse backgrounds for the endorsement of the Presidential hopeful.

According to the Muslims, their endorsement was necessitated by Dr. Jones numerous contributions to the development of society and the country at large.

The secretary of the endorsement committee, Mr. Abu Zeto Kamara, said the leader of the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE) had contributed immensely to the 15 communities and and as such he deserves to be President of the Republic of Liberia.

The Secretary General said the Muslim communities were convinced that when Dr. Jones becomes President of Liberia, they will actualize their potential and dreams.

“We have closely been following the track records of Dr. Jones and we believe that based on these records he can make a good President come 2017,’’ he said.

According to him, their consideration was also based on the series of leadership crisis that the country had suffered and that it was time that the Liberia gets a Liberia that would reconcile the nation and move the country forward.

Acknowledging the endorsement, Dr. Jones said Liberia is a country that belongs to every Liberian and if Liberians to see their country progress, they should work together as brothers and sisters with one destiny.

‘‘We want to see Liberia transformed for the betterment of all Liberians,” he said.

The former Central Bank Governor urged Liberians to look up to the future with hope and believe that it is possible that “together we can strengthen the national economy and be key players in the growth and development of the national economy”.

He added that under the leadership of MOVEE, if elected come 2017. All Liberians would have equal share and opportunities in the economic sectors of the country.

He used the occasion to call on all Liberians to turn out in their numbers to register during the voter’s registration process.

Dr. Jones noted that for too long Liberians have been marginalized and rubbed of their resources but come 2017 if elected as President, parents would not see their children selling candies and cold water in the streets, rather in school learning for a brighter future.

“We will not give lip service to education,” he said.

Report by Augustine T. Tweh /0886603255-0770182298

Monrovia – A Representative Aspirant of Montserrado District #13, Alexander Sonpon, has presented several food items to several mosques in the district ahead of the climax of Ramadan.

The mosques include MKK, New Georgia, Billimah, New Georgia among others.

The Representative Aspirant donated a little over 50 bags of 25 kg rice worth over Seventy three thousand Liberian Dollars (LD$73,000.00).

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad, according to Islamic belief.

This annual observance is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual sightings of the crescent moon, according to numerous biographical accounts compiled in the hadiths.

While fasting from dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations.

Muslims are also instructed to refrain from sinful behavior that may negate the reward of fasting, such as false speech (insulting, backbiting, cursing, lying, etc.) and fighting.

Food and drinks are served daily, before dawn and after sunset.

Spiritual rewards (thawab) for fasting are also believed to be multiplied within the month of Ramadan.

Fasting for Muslims during Ramadan typically includes the increased offering of salat (prayers) and recitation of the Quran.

At the presentation ceremony Tuesday, Sonpon hailed the Muslim community for their prayers rendered to Allah for the maintenance of peace, unity and coexistence amongst Liberians especially ahead of the 2017 elections.

He said he was humbled by their prayers and needed to identify with them beyond religion.

According to him, both the prayers of Muslims and Christians have helped to greatly direct the path of the country by its leaders.

For their part Musa V. Swaray, Secretary General, Lassana Varfee, Ways and Means Chairman and Ma Bendu Sellah, Chairlady all of the Al- Ansari Central Mosque in Iron Factory commended the donor for his humanitarian assistance.

According to them, Mr. Alexander Sonpon was a true and patriotic Liberian who extended hands of friendship to all beyond religious or political affiliations.

They noted that gone are the days when others used rice during their fasting period to gain sentiments.

Monrovia  – President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Saturday, April 30, 2016 joined hundreds of Liberian Muslims under the banner Consortium of Muslims Youth Organizations, Liberia Muslim Women Network, Imman Council of Liberia, and the Liberia Muslim Ummah to honour and bid farewell to former Finance and Development Minister Amara M. Konneh.

According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf joined the Muslims at the Monrovia City Hall where she extoled Minister Konneh for dedicated services and said government has already given him appropriate recognition and honour for his outstanding services rendered Liberia.

The Consortium of Muslims organizations gowned President Sirleaf for affording their kinsman the opportunity serve his country in key strategy positions in her government.

“If you, President Sirleaf had not appointed him, Liberia won’t have known him”. The group also gowned Minister Konneh for his devoted services over the past 10 years and prayed he succeeds at his new assignment in Kenya.

President Sirleaf said Minister Konneh will miss Liberia as he takes on his new job adding, although Minister Konneh will miss Liberia but he will be back. She said her pleasure was that Minister Konneh was recognized by a key international organization – one of the highest in terms of development service and development finance in the world.

The Liberian Chief Executive thanked the Muslim Community for honouring their son and particularly thanked the family of Minister Konneh as well as his wife and children for allowing him worked for Liberia.  

Responding, outgoing Minister Konneh expressed gratitude to the Muslim Community – particularly the Imams, students and youth leaders who reached out to him and received his support in countless forms.

He said his performance in the cabinet was not because he was the smartest, but because of the prayers of his people and God’s wisdom bestowed on him to look at things differently.

“When the President asked me to serve, recognizing that I was the only Muslim in her cabinet, I had a talk with God. I had a talk with God in my own way. I asked God to please protect me, guide me and give me the wisdom so that I don’t make my community shame. I had that talk with God,” Minister Konneh said.

He expressed the hope that when Liberia looks back at his performance here and at the great mentoring and experience to which he submitted himself under President Sirleaf’s tutorship, the Muslim Community and the country will consider his work well-done and his life well-lived.

The former Minister of Finance and Development, who resigned his post for a prestigious World Bank position in Kenya spoke on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at an appreciation program organized by a consortium of Muslim organizations at the Monrovia City Hall prior to departure for Kenya.

The ceremony was graced by hundreds of Liberian Muslims, senior government officials among others.

Monrovia – The Chairman of the National Muslim Council of Liberia, Alhaji Abubakar Omaru Kamara says Muslims in Liberia will support Vice President Joseph N. Boakai in the 2017 Presidential elections because of his stance on religious tolerance and peace, advocacy for social justice and his role as a unifier in the country. Chairman Kamara said the Vice President is a friend of the Muslims and a friend in need is a friend indeed.

Chairman Omaru Kamara pointed out that the presence of the Vice President to identify with Muslims on the occasion of the dedication of the Kindergarten Project undertaken by the Muslim Congress Alumni Association in the diaspora and his numerous support to Muslims in the country signal that he is not only a man of peace but a man with respect for Muslims throughout the country.

Chairman Kamara was speaking at the weekend during programs marking the dedication of a kindergarten project undertaken by the Muslim Congress Alumni Association in the Diasporas at the Mosque on New Port Street. He said the prayer to support Vice President Boakai come 2017 is the prayer for all Muslims in Liberia, adding the blessing of Allah is close to people that are kind and generous quoting the Holy Quran.

Speaking to the students and Islamic Clerics that have converged for the occasion, Vice President Boakai said we have to be a part of building one another’s life, adding religion should be one thing that should bring us together and not divide us stressing we should learn to live together in peace and harmony.

He congratulated the Muslim Congress Alumni Association for providing a conducive learning atmosphere for the children and pointed out that it is our responsibility to create a conducive learning atmosphere for our children. Vice President Boakai concluded by saying all that matters is that we are one people, one country with one destiny.

Recently, Gbarpolu, Cape Mount and Bomi Counties pledged their support to Vice President Boakai and said they will be petitioning him in coming weeks. The people of Lofa in 2014 petitioned Vice President Boakai to contest the 2017 Presidential elections, a release from the Office of the Vice President said.