— Says, He Wishes To Fulfil One of The Five Pillars Of Islamic Faith On Pilgrimage To Mecca
IPNEWS-Monrovia: As Liberia begins hosting series of activities in celebration of the 175th Independence Day Anniversary, on Friday, July 22, 2022 at a local Mosque in central Monrovia, President George Weah and host of government officials among others attended the Friday’s Prayer, where the Islamic community prayed for the Country and its people, calling on Allah to grant the nation peace and stability at all times.
Mounting the podium to deliver a Special Message to the Islamic community and Muslims of Liberia in general, the Liberian leader told his audience at the Mosque that one of his life-time wishes is to go to Mecca, the Holy City of the Islamic Faith, to go on Pilgrimage.
The President was quoted by several local media outlets that since Muslims are of the belief that when one goes to the Holy city of Mecca and touches the Holy tomb of the prophet Muhammad; in his words (” it is finished”), therefore, he too wants to do that. However, let it be clear that every individual has the right to choose his or her religion based on his/her convictions.
The president who has claimed to be an Evangelist/Pastor of the Church, which is of the Christian Faith, wants to go to Mecca! Currently President Weah is the Pastor of the Forky Klon Jlaleh Family Fellowship Church constructed by him following his ascendency to the Liberian presidency.
But the question lingering on the minds of some Liberian prelates, who chatted with IPNEWS but preferred anonymity for now, is how an Evangelist can or a Pastor in the Christian faith wants to go to Mecca for a Pilgrimage to fulfill an Islamic obligation, when he is not a Muslim anymore?
Flashback: President Weah at the podium at Forky Klon Jlaleh Family Christian Fellowship Church
The Hajj Pilgrimage is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. According to Islamic scholars, Hajj is, in fact, one of the five central Pillars of Islam, upon which the religion was founded and still operates on. It is an obligation upon every able-bodied and financially capable Muslim, both males and females, to be completed at least once in a lifetime.
So then, is it prudent for President Weah who is an Evangelist of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to express interest of wanting to go to Mecca to fulfil an Islamic obligation?
Some religious scholars referred to the President’s expression and desire as “practicing religion on a double standard.” According to them, it is not religious tolerance because religious tolerance does not call for people to practice two religious at the same time.
Liberia as a secular State that creates room for its inhabitants to coexist and be tolerant of one another regardless of religion, tribe, or political affiliations.
President Weah at the Mosque during the Friday’s Prayer in central Monrovia on Friday, July 22, 2022
There are however reports that some Pastors of the Christian faith are also members of traditional societies in Liberia, something that seems contrary to their religious belief. But that discussion is for another day.
The Sunday, July 24, 2022 Independence Worship Service
On Sunday, July 24, 2022 in continuation of the July 26 Independence celebration, a Worship Service is scheduled to take place at the First Assembly of God Church on Buchanan and Carey Streets. That Worship Service is intended for the Christian community of Liberia to pray for the country, the government and its people as Africa’s oldest Republic celebrates 175 years of existence as a Republic.
In keeping with protocol, President George Weah is scheduled to deliver a Special Statement following the delivering of the Sermon by the Church’s Reverend Pastor.
So then, what will Liberians be expecting to hear from their President this time around when he takes the podium having already disclosed that he (though an Evangelist/Pastor) wants to fulfil one of the Five Pillars of the Islamic Faith by going to Mecca one day.
Will the Liberian leader also talk about going to Jerusalem (The Holy Land for Christians) as a Christian (Evangelist/Pastor) to fulfil his Christian faith? Liberians are anxiously awaiting to hear what the President will tell them tomorrow, Sunday July 24 when he mounts the Pulpit at the First Assembly of God Church during the Independence Day Worship Service.
George Weah the Footballer Switches Religions
In the late 1980s when the then Liberia football superstar joined the professional football band wagon in Europe, to be precise, in France, where he landed on the shores of the Principality of Monaco to play for AS Monaco, the foreign player quota at the time was only three foreign players were allowed to be in the starting line-up.
Weah as AS Monaco player in the late 80s and early 90s in France
The former Invincible Eleven (IE) of Liberia and Tonnerre Klara Club of Cameroon striker was faced with the challenge to displace one of the three foreign players AS Monaco already had in their employ prior to signing him from Tonnerre of Cameroon.
AS Monaco already had two England internationals – striker Mark Hateley and attacking-creative midfielder Glenn Hoddle as well Ivory Coast international Youssouf Fofana. Weah being the fourth foreign player from Liberia being recruited and hired by AS Monaco needed to prove his worth to win a startling place in his new club’s line-up.
Fast forward when player Weah ditched his first manager in person of Mohammed Konneh, a Liberian-Cameroonian (he had Cameroonian father and Liberian mother) who played a key role for his recruitment by Tonnerre Klara Club of Cameroon and replaced him with Alhaji Sidiby (he has roots in Guinea), the Liberian football international at the time, took on French citizenship to enable him play regularly as an European on his club team at AS Monaco and later at Paris Saint Germain (PSG) respectively.
It was during that time that, according to what Weah – the footballer, told the Liberian sporting media then, that his Manager Alhaji Sidiby played a role for him to convert to the Islamic Faith and became a Muslim. Manager Sidiby was a Muslim himself. Weah’s new name after converting to Islam became: “GEORGE OPPONG OUSMANU WEAH”. Even his cousin, James Salinsa Debbah also converted to Islam during his playing days at AS Monaca and became known as: “James Salinsa Hassan Debbah”. Debbah too, later reconverted to Christianity and still remains Christian up today’s date.
Converting Back to Christianity
After practicing the Islamic faith for a good number of times, Weah – the footballer, made a U-turn and converted to Christianity. During one of his vacation visits as a professional footballer following his conversion back to Christianity, Weah frequently visited Mother Esther Nyema’s Church in Johnsonville, lower Montserrado County; and reports have it that he contributed financially at the time for the construction of Mother Nyema’s Church.
As a senior player of the national football team, the Lone Star, who later became captain and Technical Director, Weah reportedly used his influence for players of the Lone Star to worship occasionally at Mother Esther Nyema’s Church whenever the team was preparing for international engagements after he reconverted to Christianity. It can recalled the late Lone Star head coach, Wilfred Kejaniel Larder, who was popularly known as “T.J.” reportedly had an influence on Weah to reconvert to Christianity.
Since then, George Weah has been a Christian and has remained a Christian and up to his political life before he ascended to the Presidency of the Republic of Liberia.
Following the construction of the Forky Klon Jlaleh Christian Family Fellowship Church along the Roberts International Airport (RIA) highway, opposite the Baptist Theological Seminary facilities, President Weah at one of the Church’s services mounted the pulpit and declared that he was an Evangelist/Pastor who wanted to preach the Words of God to his people.
Since then he has continued to preach at the Forky Klon Jlaleh Family Christian Fellowship Church, and occasionally gives inspirational speeches and/or preaches at other Churches in Monrovia when invited. As a known Methodist, President Weah is always and most times invited by the Georgian Patten United Methodist Church located on Water Street in the Johansen community in central Monrovia.
And so it became a surprise for most Liberians and Christians when President Weah on Friday, July 22, 2022 at the Central Mosque in Monrovia during Friday’s Prayer in celebration of Liberia’s 175th Independence Day celebration declared that fulfilling one of the Five Pillars of Islam by visiting Mecca on a Holy Pilgrimage has always been his wish, and he hopes to fulfil that one day.
The Hajj
The Hajj sometimes also spelled (Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and of supporting their family during their absence from home.
In Islamic terminology, Hajj is a pilgrimage made to the Kaaba, the “House of God”, in the sacred city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, alongside Shahadah (oath to God), Salat (prayer), Zakat (almsgiving) and Sawm (fasting of Ramadan).
The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God (Allah). The word Hajj means “to attend a journey”, which connotes both the outward act of a journey and the inward act of intentions. The rites of pilgrimage are performed over five to six days, extending from the 8th to the 12th or 13th of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar and the Islamic year is about eleven days shorter than the Gregorian year, the Gregorian date of Hajj changes from year to year. In 2022 AD (1443 AH), Dhu al-Hijjah extends from 30 June to 29 July.
Pilgrims go around the Kaaba in Mecca during the Hajj
The Hajj is associated with the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad from the 7th century AD, but the ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca is considered by Muslims to stretch back thousands of years to the time of Abraham. During Hajj, pilgrims join processions of millions of people, who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the Hajj, and perform a series of rituals: each person walks counter-clockwise seven times around the Kaaba (a cube-shaped building and the direction of prayer for Muslims), walks briskly back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah seven times, then drinks from the Zamzam Well, goes to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil, spends a night in the plain of Muzdalifa, and performs symbolic Stoning of the Devil by throwing stones at three pillars.
After the sacrifice of an animal (which can be accomplished by using a voucher), the Pilgrims then are required to either shave or trim their heads (if male) or trim the ends of their hair (if female).
A celebration of the four-day global festival of Eid al-Adha proceeds afterwards. Muslims may also undertake an Umrah (Arabic: عُمرَة), or “lesser pilgrimage” to Mecca at other times of the year. However, the Umrah is not a substitute for the Hajj and Muslims are still obligated to perform the Hajj at some other point in their lifetime if they have the means to do so.
The Kaaba During Hajj
The present pattern of Hajj was established by Muhammad. However, according to the Quran, elements of Hajj trace back to the time of Abraham. According to Islamic tradition, Abraham was ordered by God to leave his wife Hajar and his son Ishmael alone in the desert of ancient Mecca. In search of water, Hajar desperately ran seven times between the two hills of Safa and Marwah but found none. Returning in despair to Ishmael, she saw the baby scratching the ground with his leg and a water fountain sprang forth underneath his foot. Later, Abraham was commanded to build the Kaaba (which he did with the help of Ishmael) and to invite people to perform pilgrimage there.] The Quran refers to these incidents in verses 2:124–127 and 22:27–30. It is said that the archangel Gabriel brought the Black Stone from Heaven to be attached to the Kaaba.
In pre-Islamic Arabia, a time known as jahiliyyah, the Kaaba became surrounded by pagan idols. In 630 AD, Muhammad led his followers from Medina to Mecca, cleansed the Kaaba by destroying all the pagan idols, and then consecrated the building to God. In 632 AD, Muhammad performed his only and last pilgrimage with a large number of followers, and instructed them on the rites of Hajj. It was from this point that Hajj became one of the five pillars of Islam.
