The Independent (Freetown)
30 August 2007
Freetown — Few days to elections scheduled for September 8, Muslims in Sierra Leone have celebrated the birth anniversary of their Messiah..
Imam Muhammad Mahdi a grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad is believed to reappear again the last days as a Messiah. Muslims believe that he is presently in occultation and will appear in the last days..
At the Iranian Cultural Consulate in Freetown which is a centre of Muslim activities, the Chief Imam of the Freetown Central mosque Sheik Ahmad Tejan Sillah said the Holy prophet Muhammad had prophesied on the coming of Imam Mahdi. He said the appearance of the Messiah requires Muslim s to prepare , to have faith and believe in the Messiahood. He elaborated on the concept of justice. "Do unto others what you want them to do unto you" he said, adding that with justice Muslims would be prepared to receive the Messiah when he appeared.
The Chancellor of the Iranian Cultural Consulate Mohamed Reza Gezel Sofla said Imam Mahdi, the Messiah was from prophet Muhammad's progeny. According to him, the appearance of the Messiah is not a matter of sect but has universality..
Mr. Sofla underscored that the Mahdi's appearance is contained in several verses of the Holy Quran. "Imam Mahdi will keep society alive" ,he said Sheikh Alimamy Manasaray of the International Islamic Institute in Freetown said, "The Messiah is a hope for mankind". He dilated on what he called "positive waiting" which he said should be accompanied with preparations for the coming and urged Muslims to show such manifestations. He said, "Preparation requires acquisition of knowledge" (on Islam and Messiahood).
The Iranian ambassador to Sierra Leone H.E. Saheed Tahaghoghi Merizi said, "With the appearance of the Messiah, there would be justice, equality and a true religion". He pointed out the paradox of the contemporary world in which there is advancement of technology and knowledge but also characterized by ignorance and immorality. "We are in the era of brightness and of knowledge and technology but at the same time we are in ignorance and immorality", hesaid. He described the contemporary world as a world of "greed, selfishness, arrogance, oppression, exploitation and individualism".
Mr. John Momoh a journalist also spoke on the concept of Mesiahood from the Christian perspective. Alpha Jalloh spoke on the fallacy of scientific agreements on faith Ali Badara from Kono gave a life history of Imam Mahdi. Mohamed Swarray from the Aljafari Organization in Bo urged Muslims to be just and stand firm for justice.
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