Muslims absent at joint press conference

A joint press conference organized by the Association of Evangelicals of Liberia in collaboration with Muslim and Christian leaders in Monrovia to react to Government of Liberia’s accusation against the religious communities and the deadly Ebola Virus Disease was called off at the eleventh hour Tuesday after the Muslim community here failed to show up.  Liberia has an inter-religious council that unites both Christians and Muslims.

But the atmosphere at the Rainbow Intellectual Dialogue Center in Fiamah Sinkor-Airfield, Monrovia was characterized by disappointment and embarrassment when Christian leaders, who had gathered to jointly address the press with their Muslim counterparts, were shocked to learn that the Muslim community here was conspicuously absent despite a formal invitation so the press conference could not be held.

The Executive Director of the Association of Evangelicals of Liberia Reverend Dr. Nuwoe James Kiainu, later informed guests and the media that few hours of the conference, Muslim leaders sent an excuse that they needed to settle some problems so they could not attend.

“I will like to apologize for the disappointment members of the press; the press conference will not be held today due to the failure of the Muslim leaders to show up for the conference. We all agree to jointly issue a statement that is already here in my hand, but they called a few hour to the conference and told us that they have some problems and needed to settle it, and we took it to be small problem but it looks like it has turned into a big one,” Rev. Dr. Kiainu explained.

He said one of the parties could not issue the statement on behalf of the joint religious leaders, adding the Christian leaders will try to get to the Muslim leaders to ascertain the nature of the problem. Dr. Kiainu however, promised that the press conference will be held in few days from now.