The Executive Director of the Youth Action International (YAI) Kimie L. Weeks has donated 120-25kg bags of rice for distribution among mosques in Monrovia, urging Muslims to pray for the country's 2011 general and presidential elections.

Mr. Weeks said the donation was his way of identifying with Muslims as they observe the holy month of Ramadan of fasting and praying.

"As you celebrate your holy month of Ramadan, we are here today to tell you that you are not only praying for yourselves, but you are praying for the entire country," the 28-year-old world acclaimed activist told the Grand Mufti of Liberia, Sheik Abubakar Sumuworo, at the Gurley Street Mosque last Friday (August 27), where the donation was delivered.

Ramadan in Liberia, like elsewhere in the world, is a month of fasting, prayer, charitable giving and reflection. Muslim of diverse backgrounds and national origins gather in mosques across the country and celebrate their faith.

Here in Liberia, during the month, humanitarians and political leaders make charitable donations to mosques as a way of identifying with Muslims. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, two weeks ago, distributed rice among 68 mosques across Monrovia and its environs, calling on Muslims to pray for the sustenance of the peace in Liberia and urged other humanitarians to identify with the Muslims as they observe Ramadan.

"Today" Mr. Weeks said last Friday, "I have come to make a small...contribution, 120 bags of rice... as you go through Ramadan, to be distributed among all the mosques in Monrovia." He said even though he is a Christian he considers the Muslims as his brothers and sisters and welcomes their prayers for the nation and people.

"We welcome that [prayers] because in the Liberia we are right now we need prayers... to make sure that Liberia can move forward," Weeks noted. The YAI's Executive Director feared that the situation right now in Liberia remains fragile and that there is a trend that the country could fall back into war.

"We don't want that to happen, but we can only prevent that if we all stand together and pray," the young man who fled into exile during the brutal war days, when was in his early teens, stated. Receiving the rice and a cash purse for transportation purposes, Sheik Sumoworo applauded Mr. Weeks for the gesture and said they were receiving the donation with happiness.

"We appreciate your gesture and we are very pleased by your solidarity - standing side by us as we pray that Allah will empower all us to stand in solidarity with one another. The Muslim community, he asserted, will continue to pray for the country and people and for sustainable peace in the country. D K Sengbeh writes