–Says Supreme Court Mandate Must Stand
MONROVIA, Liberia — Liberia’s Chief Imam, Sheikh Ali Krayee, on Saturday, November 15, condemned those who violently resisted a Supreme Court–mandated eviction in the Redlight community, warning that defying law enforcement “is not in line with the teachings of Islam” and will not be supported by the Muslim leadership.
Speaking in a recorded statement to Alnoor TV, an Islamic online television, Imam Krayee said the Judge of the Civil Law Court, Judge Peter W. Gbeneweleh, in early October or late September invited him, Justice Kabineh Ja’neh, and the two Muslim parties to the long‑running land dispute—now in its fifth year—to discuss the Supreme Court’s final ruling and the sheriff’s mandate to hand the parcel over to the declared owner.
“The Supreme Court, as we all know, is the final arbiter of justice in this country, and when the Supreme Court rules, there is nothing anybody can do,” he said, recounting the judge’s briefing. “It is not in the interest of anybody to resist law enforcement.”
Mediation and A Promise to Preserve the Mosque Imam Krayee said the judge initially paused the sheriff’s action “because he realized that there were sensitive issues involved, since a mosque and other properties [were at stake],” and asked Islamic leaders to mediate. The following day, the parties and elders met at the Muslim Congress office in central Monrovia.
“We appealed to them that since it was a Supreme Court ruling, there was no option,” Imam Krayee said. He added that he pledged to speak with the prevailing party “to ensure that the mosque was not affected—that the mosque will remain operational—and that we will discuss the modality on how that can be.” He said both sides “agreed that the law should be allowed to take its course peacefully.”
Violence Despite Warnings
Despite the mediation, the Chief Imam said he later learned that resistance had resumed while he was out of the country. Local reports and eyewitnesses said the first attempted eviction was met with fierce pushback; a court sheriff was severely beaten. On a subsequent attempt—this time with police support—defiant occupants wielded machetes and chanted “Allahu Akbar” as they fought to block the enforcement, witnesses said. Officers were nearly overpowered until bystanders intervened. The scene turned “chaotic and brutal,” community members told reporters.
Imam Krayee said Islamic leaders had already made it “clear to the people involved that nobody should resist the order or the mandate from the Supreme Court. That is law enforcement. We are law‑abiding citizens. This is what our religion teaches us.”
He continued: “It is completely wrong for anybody to attempt to resist the enforcement of the law. Anybody who does that is not acting in line with the teachings of Islam… [and] not acting as a patriotic citizen of this country.”
A Call Against Politicization and for Compliance
The Chief Imam urged the public “not to politicize” the matter or inflame religious sentiments, noting that both litigants are Muslims. “We cannot live in a chaotic society. We must be law‑abiding in keeping with the teachings of Islam,” he said. “Anybody who acts contrary… you are on your own. The Muslim Ummah cannot stand by you.”
What happened and What’s Next
- The case: A protracted land dispute in Redlight—Monrovia’s largest market district—between two Muslim parties went to the Supreme Court, which issued a final ruling ordering that the property be turned over to the declared owner.
- Enforcement: A court sheriff’s first effort to execute the ruling was violently repelled; on a second effort, police backing met heavy resistance before enforcement proceeded amid chaos, according to eyewitnesses.
- Mediation: Before the confrontations, the Civil Law Court asked Islamic leaders to help ensure a peaceful handover; the Chief Imam says both sides initially agreed and he sought to preserve uninterrupted mosque operations under the new landholder.
- The appeal: Imam Krayee says the Muslim leadership will not support any further defiance and urged all parties to comply peacefully with the Supreme Court’s judgment and the sheriff’s lawful mandate.
Why it Matters
The Supreme Court’s rulings are final and binding. Violent resistance to court orders undermines the rule of law and risks broader public disorder—especially in dense commercial zones like Redlight. Religious leaders’ public backing for lawful enforcement, coupled with efforts to preserve worship continuity, may help reduce tensions as authorities complete the handover.
The Liberia National Police had not issued a new public advisory on the incident by press time. Community leaders say they expect the sheriff’s office to complete the transfer of possession in line with the court’s ruling, and have appealed for calm as traders and residents return to normal activities.
