Our sheiks and violence, are they role models? I had not wanted to comment on this issue but I am compelled to because the activities of our clergy men and women have great impact in society. Recently,I reported on my newspaper a story related to a group of rebel sheiks, claiming to be members of the Sierra Leone Muslims Missionaries Union, who attacked their leader Sheik Zarky Kallon who is over eighty years old. It all started when the rebel sheiks alleged that their president, Zarky Kallon has been in power for many years and his term of office has expired. They said that they have tried all means to force him to conduct election but he could not budge and he has refused to do what they wanted. Consequently, recently, they hired thugs who ransacked the office and according to report carted away huge sum of money; money that was meant to implement Islamic project. When I interviewed some of the disgruntled sheiks, they told me that the old man was guilty of tribalism as most of his staff are members of his tribesmen (Mende).I also interviewed some of the executive members of Sheik Kallon, they alleged that most of the sheiks who are rebelling against the old man are from the temne tribe{Sheik Abdulia Sankoh,sheik Kabia and others} who think now is their time to head the Union. They said that fullah had head the mission followed by Sheik Kallon who is a mende and now is their time to rule. My concern is, why should our sheiks degenerate to such a foolish thinking?I think they supposed to be rule model in society. What is more shocking about the whole thing is that the leaders of the Rebel sheiks are all from the temne tribe.So why should our clergy men embark on tribalistic fight? The issue was so serious that State House had to intervene to settle the impasse between the two groups. Officials from state house promised to pay the hospital bills of the old man as he sustained injuries on his head, sustained a deep cut on his head, palms and other parts of his body. He was severely beaten by his colleagues. Dissapointly, the Sierra Leone Police did not do anything to arrest any sheik who was involved in the violence acts. When I contacted the Local unite commander, he told me that police did not arrest because sheik zarky did not identify any body. How can someone come to the police with blood oozing from his head but police failed to affect arrest? What is going in our society? The old man was crying for justice but the police did not anything to assist him. In the Quran God Said the that he created many languages and tribes to show case his wonders. Alas, instead of pondering on God’s wonderful work, our sheiks are using tribalism to achieve their rapacity out of idiosyncrasies and biases against their brother from the opposite tribe. These insipid and callous behaviors from our sheiks should not be tolerated. I think the police should arrest and charge the rebel sheiks to court in order to deter others from emulating this kind of behaviour.I rest my case.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 00:11:51 +0000
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