Bo, Sierra Leone – Prominent Islamic preacher Sheikh Abubakarr Kamara has been detained by police in Bo, southern Sierra Leone, amid allegations of incitement stemming from controversial statements about Christmas celebrations.
The cleric, who sparked widespread backlash just days ago for warning Muslims against participating in Christmas festivities, claiming it could lead to divine punishment, was summoned to the Bo West Police Station by the Assistant Inspector General of Police for the Southern Region.
According to police sources, Kamara arrived for questioning and was subsequently held in custody overnight. Investigators are probing whether his public remarks, widely circulated on social media around Christmas Day, amounted to incitement that could threaten interfaith harmony in the religiously diverse nation.
The controversy erupted when a video of Sheikh Abubakarr’s sermon went viral, prompting swift condemnation from fellow Muslim scholars and organizations. They distanced themselves from his views, stressing Sierra Leone’s long tradition of religious tolerance where Christians and Muslims often share in each other’s celebrations.
Prominent scholar Franklyn Musa Swaray publicly rejected the preacher’s stance, calling it un-Islamic and counterproductive to national unity.
Supporters of Kamara have voiced concerns over his detention, advocating for fair treatment, while others praise authorities for acting to safeguard communal relations.
As probes continue, the case highlights tensions around freedom of religious expression versus maintaining social cohesion in post-civil war Sierra Leone.
Further developments are anticipated soon.
