By By Staff Writer
Monrovia — In a statement that has set off waves of debate across Liberia’s religious and political landscape, Madam Alice T. Baysah, National Women Congress Chairperson of the Citizens Movement for Change (CMC), has boldly questioned the nation’s long-standing Christian dominance in politics, asking, “What has Christianity done for Liberia?”
Speaking with conviction and compassion, Madam Baysah challenged what she described as a culture of hypocrisy that uses religion as a political weapon. “We, black people, have long cried against racism from the West,” she said, “but while we condemn others for calling us names like ‘black monkeys,’ we turn around and tear down our own brothers and sisters over religion and politics.”
Her remarks, delivered in defense of CMC political leader Musa Hassan Bility, who is Muslim, called for an end to religious prejudice in national leadership. “Honorable Bility is a Liberian, born in Liberia by Liberian parents. Being a Muslim doesn’t change that,” she declared. “Our religion should never be used as a weapon against anyone.”
Madam Baysah’s words struck at the heart of Liberia’s political reality—where all twenty-six past and present state leaders have been Christians. “Has it changed our lives?” she asked pointedly. “Has it brought Liberia among the richest countries in the world? What difference did it make when all our leaders were Christian?”
She argued that faith alone does not determine leadership quality. “Religion should not be a burden; it should be a source of salvation. Christianity was not built to fight others but to save souls—and Islam was not made to destroy but to build.”
Her statement resonated with many who see religion as a divisive force in national politics, while others viewed it as an attack on Liberia’s Christian heritage. Still, Baysah remained steadfast. “We will continue to be where we are if we ignore the truth and pretend we are saving Liberia when, in fact, we are destroying it.”
In her closing message, she reiterated her faith in inclusive leadership and transformation through tolerance. “Religion is for salvation, and Liberia needs Bility to be transformed positively,” she said. “CMC is by the people, for the people. What’s your thought, Visionaries?”
Madam Baysah’s question “What has Christianity done for Liberia?” has since become a flashpoint for reflection, forcing many Liberians to reconsider whether faith should continue to define who leads or whether competence and vision should take center stage.
