CASE STUDY ON MULTI RELIGIOUS COOPERATION IN SIERRA LEONE

REV. USMAN J. FORNAH – SCRETARY GEBERAL, IRCSL

Ever since the 19th century, Sierra Leone experienced religious tolerance or cooperation. This is principally because education was brought to Sierra Leone by Christian Missionaries from the Roman Catholic, the Methodist and the Anglicans via the Church Missionary Society. Schools like the Sierra Leone Grammar School, and Annie Walsh Memorial Secondary School were amongst a host of others. The Muslims who wanted formal education for their children had no option but to send their children to these established Christian Schools. It should be noted that the Christian Schools fully accepted these Muslim kids unhindered. For example, the former President of the country, Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabba and a founding member and very influential member of the IRCSL (Alhaji U.N.S. Jah) were school mates at the St. Edwards Secondary School owned by the Roman Catholic Mission. Former Vice President of the WCRP and IRCSL (Haja Mariatu Mahdi) went to the Harford Secondary School for Girls – A United Methodist School while the current Vice President 1 of the IRCSL and President of the 50/50 Group of Sierra Leone (Haja Saiminatu Kassim went to the Methodist Girls High School.

Prince of Wales was the first government school in1925 that promoted religious tolerance. During the morning devotions, Muslims assembled to pray in the class room that is on the same floor that Christian students also assembled. And during thanksgiving celebrations, they will go to a church where a mosque is nearby to date.

This trend of history encouraged inters marriages and the respect for one another’s religion, building a platform for the expression of concern of matters relating to our various congregations. Thus it was a smooth development for the formation of the Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone which was basically formalizing that relationship that has existed over the time.

With that formalized structure we have continued to make greater impacts in Sierra Leone that had earned us more respect and recognition by the Sierra Leonean populace and the International Community. Such impacts include our leading role in the end of the eleven years senseless war, our involvement in the sensitization of Sierra Leoneans both the ex - combatants and civil society about the Lome’ Peace Accord, voter education in all of our electioneering processes, our role in the formation and provision of leadership positions in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to mention but a few.

The multi religious cooperation in Sierra Leone has brought up a tradition with regards representativity within the presidency of Sierra Leone. Where a political Flag Bearer is a Muslim, his vice or assistant should be a Christian. Former President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was a Muslim and his Vice President (Mr. Solomon Berewa) was a Christian (Catholic).

The current President (Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma) is a Christian and his Vice President (Alhaji Samuel Sam Sidique Sumana) is a Muslim.

In Sierra Leone today, after politics the second consideration in any decision making for the good of the Nation is religion. We never experienced any religious warfare in Sierra Leone. That is why we have the greatest opposition to relating our eleven years civil war to either a religious or ethnic background.

The multi religious cooperation in Sierra Leone is so recognized that the governments of Sierra Leone resolved/decided that for all interfaith based problems, the Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone is the recognized body to reckon with.

However, permit me to mention that in the later part of 2009 (November and December) we started having some isolated religious disturbances in some parts of the country mainly amongst the newly established Pentecostal Churches and some Muslim fanatics. All generated from what I may want to call “Irresponsible Evangelism.”

The Government of Sierra Leone is very gratified that in the midst of its recognition as least in the Human Index of the International Community as a result of its notable corruption in both the government and private sector, the high level of maternal and infant mortality, etc, we can be tremendously proud that we can export a very valuable commodity of “Religious Tolerance” to other parts of the world.

The Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone at the moment is not involved in any humanitarian relief activity. Our greatest strength is social Mobilization, Advocating, Sensitization and mediation.

In times of Political intolerance, we engage leaders of the various political parties to see reason why they should collaborate for the sustainability of our hard earned peace.

With funds from Religions for Peace (United Kingdom Chapter), we embarked on a training of trainers’ workshop on HIV/AIDs. About thirty six (36) religious leaders (men and women) and twenty six (26) young people benefited from the initial training. Such trainings were replicated in their respective religious institutions. This action helped to increase our members’ knowledge on the epidemic, encouraged voluntary counseling and testing and care giver support to those infected by the virus.

Our major intervention as a council with UNICEF being our main funders is in the area of Child Protection.

We have trained nationally over five hundred (500) religious leaders in various aspects of Child Protection drawn from the convention on the right of the Child (CRC) and the Child Rights Act of Sierra Leone which is a domestication of the CRC enacted by our Parliament in 2007. We provided a leading role in the advocacy against the Early Marriage of the Girl Child and education for Women and Girls. We have just concluded the formulation of bye-laws against Early Marriage of the Girl Child in twelve chiefdoms from the six operational districts of UNICEF.

From August to October 2010, we trained about six hundred (600) religious leaders (nationwide) on Essential Family Practices (EFP) that are less costly but with very high impacts. This was done in collaboration with the various District Health Management Teams in all of the twelve districts in the country including the Western Urban and Rural Areas (Freetown). Topics taught included;

Protective environment

Hygiene promotion and hand washing with soap

Factors influencing Human Development Index

Children and HIV

Child Rights Training and Advocacy

Use of Anti Retroviral Drugs

Nutrition Profile of Sierra Leone – Exclusive Breasting Feeding for Children of 0 to six months, supplementary feeding and Immunizations.

Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV.

UNICEF has developed a booklet called “Facts for Life” and are currently under distribution to all Imams, Pastors and priests in the country.

On November 20th 2010, the IRCSL provided a leading role in the Day of Prayer and Action for Children. The IRCSL engaged all its members in the four regions of the country for a simultaneous observation and conduct of the Day of Prayer and Action for Children. That event was also used to sensitize religious leaders nationwide on the “Mami and Pikin Wel body Week” which is to start on Thursday November 25th.

CHALLENGES:

The lukewarm attitude of our Pentecostal brothers to be fully involved in Multi Religious Cooperation

Funding for the IRCSL remains to be a major challenge even in the face of encouraging national members and constituencies for the payment of annual subscriptions.