 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Ahmad Tejan Sillah | |
|---|---|
| Chief Imam of the Freetown Central Mosque | |
| Spiritual leader of the United Council of Imams in Sierra Leone | |
| Chief imam of the Masjid Fatima Zahra mosque,Freetown | |
| In office 1982–1985 | |
| United Nations Goodwill Ambassador | |
| Assumed office 2000 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Freetown,Sierra Leone |
| Residence(s) | Freetown,Sierra Leone |
| Alma mater | Dar al-Tabligh,Qum,Iran |
| Profession | Imam,Islamic Preacher |
Ahmad Tejan Sillah is a Sierra Leonean Shia Muslim scholar and Islamic preacher. He is the chief imam of the Freetown Central Mosque,one of the largest mosque in Sierra Leone. [1] [2] He is also one of the leaders of the Sierra Leone United Council of Imams, [3] [4] an Islamic organisation that is made up of imams across Sierra Leone. Sillah is one of the most prominent Islamic scholars in Sierra Leone. Sillah is a Shia Muslim of the Twelver branch of Shia Islam
Contents
Born and raised in Freetown,Sierra Leone,Sillah received a master's degree in Islamic studies at the Dar Al Tabligh Islamic University in the holy city of Qum in Iran. [3] Sillah is an advocate for child and women's rights to be respected as stated in the Quran. He has often preached against violence in society and violence against women.
During Sierra Leone's civil war,Sillah was one of the leading advocates for peace. He traveled to dangerous rebel held areas of the country to preach to the rebels to lay down their arms and accept peace. [3] [2] In 2000,he was appointed by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as a Goodwill Ambassador.
Sillah is a founding member of the Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone,which is made up of both Muslim and Christian religious leaders.