Many Liberians believe the country is a Christian nation. In contrast, others believe it is not, but Liberia is a secular state because the government does not have a state religion and is neutral in matters of faith.
The Liberian constitution guarantees freedom of religion and does not favour any particular religion, though the country is predominantly Christian.
According to the 2022 National Population and Housing Census, 84.9 per cent are Christians, 12 per cent are Muslims, 2.6 per cent are persons who claim no religion, 0.5 per cent are adherents of traditional indigenous religious beliefs, and less than 0.1 per cent are members of other religious groups.
On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, three senators submitted a Bill seeking religious holidays for Muslims and Christians in Liberia.
Senators Edwin Melvin Snowe of Bomi County, Amara M. Konneh of Gbarpolu County, who are co-sponsors with Senator Joseph K. Jallah of Lofa County, submitted a Bill titled “An Act to Establish Certain Religious Holidays in the Republic of Liberia.”
According to the new Bill, “It reflects the pluralistic nature of our society and aims to foster mutual respect among Liberians of diverse faiths. This bill simply seeks to correct that imbalance and formally recognise the realities of our multi-faith society.”
This Bill became the centre of discussions within every intellectual centre in Monrovia and on street corners across the country’s capital. It also made its way on the front pages of local dailies and various radio talk shows across the country, as seen here, here, and here.
What precipitated this Bill?
For far too long, members of the Muslim community have been yearning for holidays, especially for the celebration of Ramadan and Abraham days in Liberia.
As it stands, schools, markets, government offices, and normal activities shut down in observance of Christmas and Easter. However, these holidays are not officially legislated by law, something that does not go well with some muslims in Liberia.
At some point, some Muslims thought that their calls for national holidays for Muslims in Liberia were falling on deaf ears, so they vowed to create their own holidays despite not being recognised by the national government.
What are Liberians saying about this Bill?
Many Muslims find this Bill very interesting and in their favour because, according to them, their long-standing desire to have a national holiday will be met.
Massa Kanneh-Telleh, a Liberian journalist, took to her official Facebook page in a live video and said that she is a proud Muslim and, as such, she holds no regret. She argues that if Muslims desire to give themselves holidays, they can do so by closing down their businesses in observance of a holiday. Massa furthered that she felt very disappointed when some media colleagues tried to denigrate Muslims for asking for holidays
Another Liberian, Byron Byron, said that though he is not against the Bill, he urged the bill’s proponents, Senator Amara Konneh, Edwin Milvin Snowe, and Jospeh Jallah, that after they succeed in passing the Bill, they should change the portion in the Liberian National Anthem that says, “By God’s command!” to “ By Allah’s Command!”
Byron said, “When you guys succeed in your quest, setting aside a specific date for Muslims’ holiday, y’all please don’t forget to edit the portion in our National Anthem that says, ‘By God’s command!” Y’all just add unto it, ‘By Allah’s command.’ My brother, just a suggestion from Chairman Byron Byron because I’m not into your religious debate. Nowadays, I listen and I don’t judge.”
A blog, Margibi-Liberia, also posted asking Liberians to choose between creating Muslim holidays or granting same sex marriage in the country, as seen below.
James Davies is a Liberian, and he took to his official Facebook page saying, “Just wondering whether Christians have a holiday in Guinea, Mali, Togo, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as seen below.
Othello S. Tarbah said that he believes Liberia’s secular status, as outlined in Article 14 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, prohibits religious favouritism. He added that he concurs with other analysts who have argued that formalising religious holidays contradicts this Constitutional Principle.
Tarbah furthered, “The proposal to establish Christian and Muslim holidays as official National Holidays is a recipe for division, segregation, and it’s repugnant to National Unity. Others fear that recognising only Christian and Muslim holidays might alienate other religious groups, creating unintended social divisions. Additionally, concerns have been raised about the economic impact of adding more holidays, as Liberia already has a significant number of public holidays, which are detrimental to creating a vibrant economic environment.”
Conclusion
Meanwhile, the bill has passed its first reading per the Liberian Senate’s rules and will undergo a second reading. A motion by River Gee County Senator Francis S. Dopoe forwarded the Bill to the relevant committee for detailed scrutiny before returning to the floor of the Liberian Senate for debate and a possible passage or rejection by that august body.