Liberia: Debate Emerges After Kula Fofana Draws Comparison Between Ramadan Gatherings and Christian Crusades
A public debate is unfolding in Liberia following comments by Kula Fofana, who compared Muslim Ramadan gatherings to large Christian religious events such as crusades and conventions, suggesting that community-based security support for the Fula during the fasting month could be viewed as both practical and reasonable.
Her argument centers on a functional comparison.
During major Christian gatherings across Liberia and beyond, churches often deploy organized volunteer teams, including ushers and marshals, to manage crowds, direct movement, and maintain order, particularly where state security presence is limited.
Fofana notes that Ramadan presents similar logistical realities: late-night prayers, large congregational assemblies, increased pedestrian movement, and heightened community activity. In her view, structured volunteer support within the Muslim community, particularly among the Fula, could help fill gaps in public safety during these peak periods, much like church-based ushering systems do during large Christian events.
However, the comparison has sparked concern among observers who argue that the analogy risks blurring an important distinction.
While church ushers typically operate as event-based volunteers under clearly recognized institutional frameworks, the idea of a community-specific “security force” raises broader questions about legality, perception, and national cohesion.
Critics point out that ushers are not autonomous security bodies. Their roles are limited to coordination within church premises and events, assisting with seating, parking, crowd flow, and general order, without exercising authority beyond those confines.
By contrast, framing a religious or ethnic community’s internal organization as a “security force” shifts the conversation from event management to authority and structure, a move some analysts say could unintentionally normalize parallel systems of control outside formal state oversight.
Fofana’s position appears rooted in practicality rather than confrontation. Her emphasis suggests that in contexts where law enforcement capacity is stretched, structured community cooperation can enhance safety rather than undermine it.
Yet, the debate highlights a deeper tension: similarity in circumstance does not necessarily translate into similarity in implication.
Managing religious gatherings through volunteer coordination is widely accepted across faith traditions.
Establishing identity-based security structures is a far more complex proposition.
As discussions continue, the issue is increasingly being framed not around whether communities should contribute to public order, but how such contributions can occur within lawful, nationally unified frameworks that avoid creating the perception of divided authority.
For now, the conversation underscores a delicate balance between community self-organization and the primacy of state security, one that Liberia, like many plural societies, continues to navigate.
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