By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) has expressed concern over a video that shows the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Mayoral aspirant, Mohamed Gento Kamara addressing Muslim worshippers at a Mosque in Freetown appealing for votes on a religious basis.
SLAJ in a press statement also condemned the leadership of the Basharia mosque for allowing a politician to use their place of worship to campaign on such grounds.
The association said the 2023 elections are not about religion or tribe or any other extreme considerations, but rather about issues that can develop Sierra Leone and raise the standard of living of the people.
“Religious tolerance is our last hope; it is the bedrock of our coexistence and our pride as a nation. A key component of SLAJ’s work during the 2023 elections is to combat disinformation and hate speech in all their forms. We will not allow this last bastion of our coexistence to be disturbed for political gains,” SLAJ President, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla was quoted in the press statement.
Political candidates have been urged to be mindful of their campaign messages and refrain from using divisive sentiments for political gains and that the peace, security, and cohesion of the country should be a collective responsibility.
SLAJ urged the Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone (IRCSL) to take appropriate steps to prevent houses of worship from being used as campaign platforms to preach hate and intolerance.
The opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party also issued a press release on the 26th of March, 2023 condemning Gento’s statement which they said displayed “distasteful tribal and religious bigotry to the shock and disappointment of the congregation.”
Reacting to the backlash, Gento’s campaign team in a press statement claimed that the candidate represents both religious and tribal tolerance that Sierra Leone has been acclaimed for and described the posture of SLAJ and APC as premature, and a complete misrepresentation of the full address made by their candidate.
The address, they argued was to encourage the Muslim congregation to reach out to Christian brothers and sisters without any religious barrier. They said Gento’s speech also underscored that Freetown is a multi-ethnic city and that its attributes should be reflected in the mayoral ticket of any major political party.
“This is further evident by the fact that in recent months, Mohamed Gento Kamara has visited several Churches and Mosques to worship and patronize various events,” part of the statement reads.
They assured that their candidate remains committed to promoting religious and political tolerance.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (29/03/23)
