Crisis Overshadows Muslims’ Ramadan

What appears to be a far from solving leadership struggle has permeated within the Muslim community in Bong County overshadowing the observance of this year’s holy month of Ramadan.

A committee comprising twenty one members of the supreme council of the Muslim community in Bong County recently unanimously endorsed the suspension of the current chairperson of the Muslim council in the county Alihaji Amara Kenneh for time indefinite.

The Council members in their undivided decision said, they were constrained to take the stand against their chairman because he has betrayed the confidence of the Muslim community an act that contravenes the code values of the council and moral principles of the Islamic religion.

A spokesman of the Bong Muslim Supreme Council informed this paper that their suspended chairman’s action seriously undermines the unity of the Muslim community which was gradually degenerating into factionalized Muslim community in the county.

Mr. Abdullah Syllah narrated that the Islamic faith does not subscribe to divisiveness; as such they will not allow Muslims in the county to be divided as a result of the Mr. Kenneh’s selective leadership style he has exhibited over the years.

The  Council also accused  its embattled  chairman of  unilaterally running the affairs of  the organization  with out reference to other council members  despite persistent  engagement with the  chairman to involve every member of the council  in taking key decisions  relating to the well being of the Muslim community.

The former chairman has also been questioned about what led him to give the council’s letterhead and stamp to one Haja Swaray also a member of the Muslim community to masquerade as president of the Bong County Muslim Women Organization.

The council members claimed they were not aware of Haja serving as head of the Bong County Muslim Women Organization and her activities are considered illegal and counterproductive to the growth and development of their organization 

The embattled Muslim council chairman in his reaction described the supreme council decision as miscalculation of judgment and premature verdict which he strongly challenged and questioned its legal foundation.
Alihaji Amara Kenneh told this paper he remains the legitimate Muslim council chairperson in Bong County and has no accommodation for the recent decision   against him.

The long  serving chairman said, he remains committed to the improvement of the Islamic community as a  whole and will not allow  himself to be attracted to what he called “Boys’ play” 

The tough speaking Muslim chairman however admitted offering the council stamp and letterhead to Madam Haja Swaray to be used to prepare communication to solicit funding for the construction of a proposed Muslim women multi purpose center in Gbarnga. 

Alihaji Amara Kenneh has meanwhile sent passionate plea to his fellow Muslims in Bong County to avoid vices that would further divide them and forge ahead with things that will cement the existing brotherliness in keeping with the Islamic faith.

He said, division and common misunderstanding will only retard the growth and development of the Muslim community in the county especially when they are observing the holy month of Ramadan in keeping with the Islamic doctrine. 

At the same time a senior member of the Mandingo community in Gbarnga says it is counterproductive for Muslim women in Bong County to have an exclusive center of their own when the county leadership is already constructing sixty four thousand United States dollars (64,000.00USD) multipurpose women center in Gbarnga.

Mr. Ansu Saysay said, attempt by Madam Swaray who is masquerading as head of the Muslim women and few Muslim leaders in the county to embark on the construction of another women center, is not healthy for the reconciliation process of the county, and further has the propensity to create a division amongst the Christian and Muslims women that are now working together as one body.