By Nvasekie N. Konneh
Friday, March 20, 2026 felt like a national holiday in Liberia, except that it was not a national holiday. From transportation, to market places, to the streets, to government offices; From eateries such as Ala Largon, De Calabash, Miami Beach, Mamba Point hotels, to Boulevard Palace, families were everywhere sharing the holiday spirits. Even in the clubs, DJs were shouting Ramadan greetings to their customers majority of which was no-Muslims. the spirit of the Ramadan Eid celebration was everywhere. You could feel it with the talk show hosts and radio DJs on various radio stations. Songs were requested and dedicated to friends and relatives on the radio. On social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, there were exchanges of Eid greetings from Muslims to Muslims and in many cases, non-Muslims social media users sent Eid greetings to their Muslim friends and relatives. There were some very high profiled non-Muslim Liberian officials who dressed in Islamic garments and visited mosques and other places of celebration. Among them were Senator Edwin Snow of Bomi County, Eugene Fahngon, Director General of ELBC, former Representative Acarus Gray, Dennis Jah of Focus on Liberia, among others. Either dressing in Islamic garments or sharing words of prayer, especially by our non-Muslim friends are indication of religious tolerance in Liberia.
Since the days of Dr. Amos Sawyer when he served as the Interim President of Liberia, and up to present, Liberian presidents have given Eid messages. Always, such messages are geared toward promoting religious tolerance between the Christians and Muslims in Liberia. In his address to the nation, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai began with a salutation, “Asalam alaikum.” The president addressed what he described as a “joyous and spiritually significant occasion.” He emphasized that “Eid Fitr represents a sacred period of gratitude, reflection, sacrifice, and renewed faith.” He considered all these as “values” which “are essential to Liberia’s continued pursuit of unity, peace, and national development.” The president went on further to “commend the Muslim community for its steadfast commitment to peace and national progress.” He praised their “resilience, discipline, and contributions to fostering stability and social harmony across the country.” The president also said that the Muslims’ “commitment to faith, family, and community serves as a strong pillar in building a more inclusive and united Liberia.” Indeed, the president’s message echoed or reechoed the positive message of peaceful coexistence in Liberia between the members of the two major religions, Islam and Christianity. From the Iftar dinner the president hosted for the Muslims during the month of fasting and now this message on the Eid celebration projects religious tolerance, peace and harmony in the country.
This was a passage from the Eid Fitr message from Hon. Musa Bility, Representative of District 7, Nimba County: “This peaceful Ramadan is a good sign for our country. It shows that people of different faiths can live together in peace and harmony. It shows that we are maturing as a nation and growing beyond division, intolerance, and religious bigotry. We must continue to embrace the strength that our diversity brings and use it to build a more united and peaceful Liberia. I also wish to thank our leaders, including the President of Liberia, for identifying with the Muslim community during this sacred season. Such gestures of unity and inclusion strengthen the bonds that hold us together as one people and one nation.”
In the message he shared on his Facebook page, Senator Edwin Snow said, “As the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end, I extend my heartfelt congratulation and warm wishes to you and your families. May Allah accept your prayers, fasting, and sacrifices and reward you with peace, joy, and abundance of blessings. May this celebration strengthen love, unity, and harmony in our community and across our nation.” As someone who have advocated for Islamic holiday in the past and the fact that he represents a county that is predominantly Muslim, this message from him does not come as a surprise. Sen. Snow is truly a man who upholds the principle of religious tolerance.
From Senator Amara Konneh, came this message, “From our family to yours, may this special day bring peace, happiness, and prosperity to you, your family, and loved ones. Eid Mubarak 2026. Love and Peace.”
Another message we found very meaningful for the occasion came from the host of Focus on Liberia online media platform, Denis Jah. Denis is an easy going fellow who has strong relation with many Muslim friends over the years. In his short message, he said, “Eid Mubarak to my dear compatriots. As the blessed month of Ramadan comes to an end, I celebrate with you the strength, discipline, and faith that carried you through these past weeks. May this Eid bring you joy, peace, and abundant blessings. May your prayers be accepted, your sacrifices rewarded, and your hearts filled with gratitude and happiness. May your homes be filled with laughter, love, and togetherness today and always. Wishing you and your families a beautiful and joyous Eid.”
On the holiday weekend between Friday and Sunday, lots of joyous activities took place in various communities. Among them was the soccer tournament billed as the “Fast Month Maracana Tournament.” According to the organizers, this tournament has been going on for ten years during the month of Ramadan and the finals are always held on the day of the Eid Celebration. This year Eid was on Friday but the climax of the tournament was postponed till Sunday to accommodate the schedules of the chief patron of the event, Musa Hassan Bility, a prominent member of the community and leader of the opposition political party, CMC.
All of these activities combined made this year 2026 Eid Fitr celebration no less than a national holiday, even though it was not declared officially as a national holiday.
As we observed all these activities, our minds run back to the days or years before the war when Eid Fitr celebration used to be more fun and memorable in our communities. If you grew up in Sanniquellie, Saclepea, Ganta, Bahn, Zwedru, Gbarnga etc., you know what we are talking about. In Saclepea, we had the Lanaya Gbombay club. In Sanniquellie, there was Waraba. Ganta had Teeta and Disco. Gbarnga had Commerce and Eagle. With these gbombay clubs in various places, we used to celebrate the Eid Fitr in grand styles. Months in advance, the planning for the celebration would begin. The drum sets, the uniforms, the singers, the dancers, all were ready set to go into full blown motion on the day of the Eid and several days after. For us in Saclepea, the three days festivities used to be held in the Commissioner compound. On those occasions, the non-Muslim town folks used to come to witness the spectacles. They used to enjoy it as much as we used to. Of course, someone is going to say, what’s the big deal? Celebrations go on every day and everywhere and the atmosphere is the same everywhere with some slight differences which may be cultural or religious. If you think so, you are not wrong. However, this is very important at the time we are talking about Islamic Holidays in Liberia. Though we am in favor of the Islamic holidays being made official, we don’t want the absence of it being an official holiday in Liberia to stop us from celebrating the way we used to do back in the days. Prior to Friday, March 20, 2026, we were wondering what would be going on in Monrovia after the prayer in the mosques or on the fields. What we saw around and what we heard about from people from various places gave us good feeling about the prospect of Islamic holidays in the future. As we close the chapter of this year Ramadan Eid Fitr, we at Public Agenda newspaper wish all Muslim and non-Muslim Liberians blessed Ramadan and Eid Mubarak.
