Today i listened to the most unfortunate voice recording from a perceived man of God in Sierra Leone (well a Nigerian who we warmly embraced as ours in Sierra Leone). Pastor Ajisafe, really!! I hate to go public particularly on religion, but let me tell you that some of what you said is provocative and inciteful (incitement being a crime you know). For your information, even though most recent census statistics show that Sierra Leone has about 74% muslim population, we have co-existed peacefully since the beginning of Sierra Leone with our Christian brothers n sisters unlike some of our neighbouring countries in West Africa whose names i would not mention, but you know very well. We even allow Christians to rule us – no sweat. Please let us co-exist as we have. THIS IS SIERRA LEONE. We love each other n we see each other as Sierra Leoneans n not just muslims or christians. That unprecedented show at the stadium was just a tip of the iceberg of the muslim strength – plus christians in solidarity, so don’t throw stones.
Again, i will say that some of the utterances in that voice recording is unfortunate, provocative and inciteful (incitement being an inchoate offence under our laws n provocation being a defence in certain circumstances).
WE LOVE OUR SIERRA LEONE. NO ROOM FOR RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE. Duya ker am go oda sai.
Pipul Pikin Except for some of us who are not religious fanatic, but there is nothing like religious tolerance in the eyes of a fanatic Muslim or Christian. My readings are that both religions were created to undermine each other. It is like this APC vs SLPP thing. Sierra Leone is lucky with a calm situation . So what that pastor is doing is not new , how we manage the situation is very important. The best is not to condemn but embrace . Our Muslim friends who are all over the place, must rethink the true meaning of Islam . THE Islamic scholar Mufti would have cautioned them to let go and forgive the pastor. Reacting to the pastor undermines the credibility of those who claim to follow the path of God. People should just chill and wish the pastor well in his ranting
I’m expecting an official statement of condemnation from the Inter-religious Council of Sierra Leone on the unguarded outburst from a so-called Bishop Victor Ajisafe.
Such blasphemous utterances have the propensity to provoke a religious unrest in a country. This is unacceptable and must be condemned in its entirety.
Sierra Leone is a country that prides itself for religious tolerance, therefore no individual must be encouraged to mess up with such an enviable accolade of our beloved country.
Bishop Ajisafe is from Nigeria and we all know how that country has been plunged into religious mess. Our country and her people have extended friendly hands to all Nigerian Clerics and most of them have excelled financially beyond even their own expectations. Therefore, we expect nothing from them but to help us maintain the religious tolerance they found in our country and not provoke our patience. Lonta!!
#SierraLeone has indefinitely suspended the license of one of the largest churches in the country. It follows what many see as an incendiary sermon by the founder and leader of the Sanctuary Praise Church, Victor Ajisafe in which he appears to criticize – some say demean – Islam. It came after the visit here last week of the Zimbabwean Muslim cleric, Mufti Menk who addressed tens of thousands of Muslims at the national stadium. The Nigerian Pastor Ajisafe is spending the night in a police cell with sources saying he will be charged with incitement and hate speech, and arraigned on Thursday. The legendary religious tolerance Sierra Leone is famous for came close to being undermined today after the audio went viral. Faith leaders and state authorities intervened to diffuse the rising tensions in this Muslim majority country.
©Umaru Fofana
Booo Ajesafe u sef boooo… I listened to his hate and insightful preaching with pain in my heart ♥. How can a man of God as he claimed talked about other religion like that. His criticism has an undertone of malice and jealousy which has the tendency of igniting violence and disunity among our already religious tolerance we enjoyed as a nation . Ajesafe for the records. Yes! #SierraLeone is an #ISLAMIC state, because 60% of our nation’s population are #Muslims and 30% of the remaining populace are #Christians, with 10% of other faiths or belief.
Although Sierra Leone is a member of the OIC, the country remain a secular state and it is due to it secularism that religious tolerance has been maintained. We should keep it that way.
Today we listened to ajasafie, his message is a call to divide the country, pure and simple ! He is clearly trying to creat a wedge between Christians and muslims; This toxic concoction can fuel a full blown Sectarian War. The kind of danger unlike anything we have experienced in the history of Sierra Leone. May Allah forbids, if our leaders do not put a STOP to this divisive and evil message now, what is about to be unleashed in Mama Salone will surpass the Rebel war, Ebola and mudslide, all combined. And once inter-religious trouble starts, it continues for generations- it is extremely difficult to eradicated. Sierra Leone has always been and will always be a “Religious-Tolerant” Nation. We continue to pray to the Lord, inshAllah ! The one issue every Sierra Leonean is proud of – We pray how we want.
We count on our Government to STOP ajesafe quickly before the PEACE and Good-Will between our two main Religions deteriorates fast.
BB Barrie
AJESAFE MUST BE INVESTIGATED
There is an audio clip making the rounds on social media where a purported man of God Ajesafe deliberately insult Islam, the Holy prophet Muhammad (SAW) , our erudite scholar, Mufti Menk the Late President Ahmed Tejan Kabba and the entire Muslim Unman.
It is unfortunate and uncalled for that Ajesafe a Nigerian born Pastor who is on record continue to meddle with the internal politics of our country. This political pastor is not only provoking Muslim’s but deliberately creating the platform to incite religious trouble.
Can some one please tell Ajesafe that Sierra Leone is not Nigeria? that he cannot succeed to divide our people.
Who is Ajesafe?
♦A Purported Nigerian Man of God who continuously meddle with Sierra Leone politics
A purported Nigerian Pastor who was in support of the defunct AFRC movement during the dark days
He was the guy who pledged to burn the Bible if Late President Kabba was reinstated.
The only foreign Pastor who openly showered praises on the APC government therein take sides on Sierra Leone issues.
This was the very pastor that break her leg when he was about to be lynched by our people because he collaborate with Johny Paul and his Sobels to kick Late President Kabba out of office. He was so smart to seek refuge from the police.
Ajesafe attacking Islam is a direct insult to Muslim’s and we expect Government and Inter Religious Council to seriously look into this affairs.
We are also calling on government to investigate the immigration status of Ajesafe. He is not only foreigner but an individual who over the years have bent on dividing this country
SALONE DADDY
Sierra Leoneans in Pastor Ajisafe’s church have been maliciously insulted. He called his congregation idle. This man came to Sierra Leone to spread Christianity, he succeeds in doing that because the people of our country are faithful and have trust in God. He has followers, a lot of followers. His church is always full with people, and traffic being obstructed anytime he holds service. For God’s sake no one ever criticizes this preacher, not even for the bags full of money that he collects from his congregation everyday.
Muslims or Christians, Sierra Leone knows nothing about religious divide, but this is a wake up call for our country. We are used to celebrating both religions, Christians support Muslims during Ramadan and Muslims support Christians during Christmas. Muslims attend Christian schools, learn about Christ and the bible. Christians will marry Muslims and verse versa. These are the values that hold us together. Ajisafe did not know these values about us,, like most other Nigerians, he took advantage of the vulnerability that swept our country due to the rebel war. The people of Sierra Leone did not do a thorough research on our guests that swam into the country after the war. The preachers and churches from Nigeria came in, over shadowed the traditional Methodist, catholics and Seventh day
Adventist churches, to name a few. Our people admired their fancy fake suits, and funny looking shoes and believed in their preaching. Today they are bent on creating what could result to religious war in Sierra Leone. Ajisafe has never been openly criticized by anyone for collecting bags of money daily from the people of Sierra Leone. Poor as they may seem, because of their faith in God, they contribute tirelessly to the church.
What is wrong with this preacher, Mufti did not come over to” Let his gate be opened” he did not ask for a dime for the words of God that he taught the people of Sierra Leone. So why is Ajisafe worried, his gates will always be opened in Sierra Leone. After all, he has succeeded in inducing the people to generously give to his church. Mufti did not ask the people to stop giving him. Oh my God the preacher is financially feeling in-secured because of the visit of one Islamic scholar.
Watch out Sierra Leone, this Ajisafe guy could be a false prophet. There are too many of them out there today. This is exactly what could trigger a religious war, thank God Sierra Leone is a peace loving country and we are one family; this preacher would have sparked trouble. All he would have done is flee back to Nigeria leaving commotion with the people of Sierra Leone. This preacher is not good for Sa. Leone.
From Muhammad
Charlie Rogers to The Sierra Leonean
In my opinion, the plethora of one-man show Ajisafe type “churches” that have popped up everywhere in Sierra Leone have neither made many people more Godly, ethical or increase in virtue. If anything, I think they are part of the problem. Here is why:
1)They preach a dangerous mix of superstition and magical thinking that Paul warns us against couched in Christian language.
2) They essentially preach that God is there to do our will and not the other way around….and you can get God to do your bidding with prayer, fasting and so on.
3) They preach that increase in financial wealth is always an indicator of blessing and anointing by God. With the result being those who are virtuous if they are not financially wealthy are not seen as role models. Rather our young people engage in hero-worship and want to be like unethical people who have obtained wealth even if it’s by unscrupulous means.
4)Their preaching tends to always attribute suffering and hardship as a curse and punishment from God. They are quick to label people having a rough time in life as witches and demon possessed. This does not promote compassion for the least of our brothers, like the sick, poor and destitute.
5) They preach that the blessing (financial that is) you will receive from God is directly proportional to how much “seed money” you give to their church. So even people who are suffering to meet their basic needs feel compelled that they have to give their money to the church in order to receive Gods blessings.
6) Last but not least. They have very little or no knowledge of theology and the history of Christianity. There is a reason why people before they become pastors, go to seminaries to study theology for years in catholic, orthodox and the older protestant denominations before they are ordained. Not that religious education is a requirement for holiness and sanctification, but the more you understand your own religions history and that of others you may be more respectful and exercise caution making broad generalizations and inflammatory statements.
Lihai Turay shared his post.
THE CHURCHES OUR GRANDMOTHER RAISE US ARE NOT THE SAME ANYMORE.
The churches we know is a non profitable organization yet their so called general net worth rises day and night. They do not pay tax yet but the Christ we know paid tax. Sierra Leone one of the poorest country in the world but yet some of the richest pastors in the world have churches all over the Country. Now inside Sierra Leone, 63% mainly Muslim and 32% Christians but we’re religious tolerance country.
The same colonial masters destroyed our culture, traditions and philosophy through the church and called it evil hence Satan can only be illustrated with a black man or a black picture whereas Jesus or holy spirit can vividly be illustrated with a white man or white image. That is how the mentality of a black man was destroyed systematically. Now they sees the white man to be equivalent to God and a black man to be equivalent to Satan. We no longer has culture, even within these church there is a war in the sense that a brother from any penticostal church doesn’t wanna marry a sister from Catholic church since she is been considered as someone who has not yet repented. No one mentioned that the longest world power that has ever existed was from Africa.
Prophecies has destroyed our homes indeed the church has done more harm than good to us. Believed in God not man.
VICTOR AJASAFE IS SLOWLY PUTTING A KNIFE IN THE VERY HOMOGENEOUS THINGS THAT HOLD US TOGETHER AS A NATION.
Penpusher speaks
Preacher Ajasafe’s remarks against Mufti Ismael Menk, and Islam in general is completely baseless, unfounded, misleading, and dangerously inciteful.
His utterances against Islam in particular has really shown his little knowledge in religion and the belief (Christianity) he claims to uphold.
Sierra Leone has always been known as one of the most peaceful nations on earth due to its invaluable and uncompromising religious tolerance it continues to manifest in religious intermarriages, citizens upholding their different religious holidays etc.
A vile statement against any religion in our country is never accepted from anybody, not to talk about it coming from such a high profile religious personality like Ajasafe which will signal a recipe for chaos,disunity and snail pace incitement of religious intolerance breeding and confrontations.
Sierra Leone as a nation has been enjoying peaceful religious coexistence with a steady progress in all spheres of our religious activities.
Ajasafe’s mental dementia verbatim utterances against Islam in his pulpit is despicable and calls for the immediate intervention of State security apparatus to bring him to book for such incitement, malice,hate speech and diabolical wordings before its ripple effects spill over.
Statement from no less a person but a man of God who is to be seen as shaper of opinions and mirror of society is a deliberate intention to jeopardize the peace of the state and also fueling interreligious discord and separation.
With no hesitation is like he wants Sierra Leone to become a replica of Nigeria which is quite impossible.
Citing the former President, President kabba of clandestinely incorporated Sierra Leone to be a member of Organization of Islamic Country( OIC) is not worth it, that tells how the ungodly preacher has been working behind the scenes tirelessly to put a knife on the things that bind us together as a nation.
Ajasafe wants Muslims and Christians to bitterly fall apart like “things fall apart”
In my conclusion Victor should publicly retracts his cheap popularity statements or else he should be banish to where he came from.
Sierra Leone is not Nigeria. Period! as I rest my pen for now.
©Penpusher
Please share in th ename of peace
He has to go where ever he came from..my question is how long he has been living is the country? does he build any houses or business in the country that employ his church members? Does he any bank account in Sierra Leone? why does he keep getting rich in the hands of the poor Sierra Leone people? He took the money to Nigeria. He is not a pastor he just know how to talk and how to fool the people by telling the what hey want to hear. but min you if fellow the wrong pastor or Imam you will end up in hell. so be watchful who is man of God. That man is not a pastor he is a {pas lie} He is bring the same fire they have in Nigeria to peaceful Sierra Leone. Please let him take his black ass back to Nigeria.