Liberia’s Chief Imam, Ali Krayee, has called for clarity on the involvement of an imam who appeared in a recent confrontation between police officers and a group of Muslims resisting a court-ordered eviction in the Red Light area. The incident escalated into a violent clash, prompting national debate over the conduct of both the police and the Muslim community.
Appearing on a local talk show, Imam Krayee said the leadership had explicitly advised the imam and other Muslims not to resist the enforcement of the Supreme Court–backed eviction order. He questioned why the cleric proceeded to the scene despite the warning. “I want to know what the imam was doing there,” he said. “Despite the advice of the National Chief Imam, why did he go there to resist? We can’t just condemn blindly — we need to find out what he was doing there.”
The Chief Imam pushed back against accusations that the Muslim leadership failed to be “balanced” in its response by condemning resistance to the court order but not immediately condemning police brutality. He described such criticism as selective and inconsistent. “Those who say we were not balanced are being hypocritical,” he said. “This resistance to the enforcement of the law did not start in November. It started in late September when the judge sent his sheriff to enforce the ruling. People resisted and even took court licenses against law enforcement, and none of these critics condemned that act.”
Imam Krayee said the leadership deliberately chose not to issue a condemnation of the police during the latest clash, arguing that police brutality should be addressed through a separate, holistic approach and not only when a Muslim is involved. The Chief Imam also used the platform to address what he described as tribal and internal divisions within the Muslim community. Making specific reference to Mandingo Muslims, he praised the community’s historic contributions while urging them to challenge what he called “reactionary elements” who act as though they are the exclusive custodians of Islam in Liberia.
“Islam is not a tribal religion,” he said. “The days when people held Islam hostage because of personal or tribal reasons are gone and gone forever.” He further reflected on longstanding grievances, including the absence of national Islamic holidays. He referenced a 2023 public Ramadan event where officials reminded Muslims that some past Muslim leaders in government had also failed to secure such holidays. “This is an indictment of the Muslim community,” he said. “Our wounds are self-inflicted. But it is still our right to demand what is due us.”
On the broader issue of police misconduct, Imam Krayee criticized the community’s past silence on abuses against non-Muslims and stressed that such matters should not be viewed exclusively through a religious lens. “When police brutality happens to Liberians — whether Bassa, Gio, or Krahn — it is a national issue, not Muslim affairs,” he noted. “We must change that mindset.” He cited past incidents, including the killing of Mohammed Manobai and the brutalization of political activist Comrade Watasseh Sumo, as examples where the Muslim community failed to speak out. As tensions continue from the Red Light altercation, the Chief Imam said the Muslim community must confront internal challenges while maintaining a principled stance on national issues.
Author: Cooper Sangar
