By Davida Spaine-Solomon
Freetown, 31st March, 2026- Sierra Leone’s Minister of Social Welfare, Melrose Karminty, has issued a stark warning about the growing threat of religious extremism, urging clerics and communities to guard against hate speech that could erode the country’s cherished tradition of tolerance.
Speaking at the Miatta Civic Centre on March 26, where government and religious leaders signed a landmark communiqué, Karminty described the agreement as more than symbolic. “What we are seeing is not just isolated commentary, but a pattern that, if ignored, could gradually erode the foundations of our national unity,” she cautioned.
The communiqué commits religious leaders to reject hate speech and extremism, while reinforcing values of peaceful coexistence. For the first time, it introduces enforcement mechanisms that strip away institutional protection for individuals who incite division. “Faith cannot be used as a shield for actions that threaten national stability,” Karminty stressed.
She noted that the engagement was convened as a preventive measure, not in response to crisis, but to avert one. Discussions focused on inflammatory rhetoric in sermons and the rapid spread of divisive messages across digital platforms. Clerics were urged to act as gatekeepers, monitoring discourse within their communities and guiding followers toward responsible digital engagement.
Group consensus was clear: religious influence must be exercised with restraint and accountability. Leaders pledged to counter harmful narratives before they escalate, ensuring that Sierra Leone’s reputation as a model of religious harmony is preserved.
“The strength of Sierra Leone has always been its unity in diversity,” Karminty said. “This communiqué is about protecting that strength deliberately, decisively, and without compromise.”
With this pact, government and faith leaders have drawn a line in the sand—sending a message that extremism will not be tolerated, and that Sierra Leone’s legacy of coexistence must be defended for generations to come.
