00:00Over the past few years, Ramadan and Lent have fallen within the same time frame,
00:05with both seasons starting on February 18th this year.
00:08Saidu Sakokarbo lives with his Christian and Muslim families,
00:12all observing this period simultaneously.
00:16I have Muslim friends who bring me porridge for iftar,
00:20even though I do not fast during Ramadan.
00:24Likewise, when it is time for Christmas,
00:27my wife cooks and shares food with our neighbours.
00:34Aisatul Kamara, one of Karbo's grandchildren, is observing Ramadan.
00:42Before Ramadan began, my Christian grandparents gave me money to buy provisions.
00:49We also got money from our Islamic learning centre to buy provisions.
00:56I usually assist my grandmother at her shop in preparing food for iftar.
01:08Ramadan is a month of fasting from dawn to sunset for Muslims,
01:12while Lent is a 40-day period of sacrifice and spiritual discipline for Christians.
01:17Both seasons emphasise reflection, self-denial and spiritual growth.
01:21While Sierra Leoneans are largely divided along political lines,
01:24the West African nation has consistently been ranked among the most religious-tolerant countries around the world,
01:30with Muslims and Christians sharing common values.
01:33According to Father Gogra, many people of both faiths are focusing less on their differences
01:38and more on the shared values that unite them.
01:40A moment like this, when God makes it possible for us to celebrate these sacred months as Muslims and Christians
01:48simultaneously,
01:49it makes us feel happy, as it strengthens our relationship more and more.
01:56Sheikh Sila, the chief imam of Masjid Rahman III, a mosque established 25 years ago,
02:01says that other countries can learn from how the two faiths have coexisted peacefully in the West African nation.
02:07There is no problem between our religions.
02:11The Christians are observing and so are we.
02:13We're all in the same community.
02:14They have their churches and we have our mosques.
02:17They do not disturb us and we don't disturb them.
02:21According to national government statistics from 2020,
02:2477% of Sierra Leone's population are Muslim,
02:2822% Christian and approximately 2% practice animism or some other form of traditional religion.
02:33Eric Kawa, Africa News, Freetown.
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