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The Librarian

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    VIOLENT RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN LIBERIA:

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     I remember from March 1963, at the beginning of the elementary school year at Gbatala, Bong, Liberia, that on the first day of classes many of my schoolmates from the previous year were not in attendance. We were told that they and their parents were among Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) who had been arrested at the City of Gbarnga, Bong, Liberia during the previous week while gathered for their JW Convention. We learned that the Jehovah's Witnesses - both Liberian and foreign members - men, women and children - were being beaten while under Liberia Frontier Force (LFF) detention because of refusal to sing the "All Hail, Liberia Hail" national anthem or pledge allegiance to the Lone Star Liberia flag. I remember that when my Jehovah's Witnesses school mates eventually returned to Feju Elementary School at Gbatala, for the remainder of the school year at beginning of each school day, as we gathered at the school's courtyard, we were separated into Jehovah's Witnesses on one side and non-Jehovah's Witnesses on the other side. While most of us were singing the national anthem or pledging allegiance to the flag, the Jehovah's Witnesses students were "...pumping tire..." (deep knee bends while holding one's earlobes), or being rattan-whipped and heckled by the LFF soldiers who were wearing tasseled red fez caps.

    Concurrently, adult Jehovah's Witnesses were expelled from civil service jobs, dozens were held and tortured at Belleh Yellah maximum security prison, a scheme of intense security surveillance was imposed on members of the Watchtower Society (Jehovah's Witnesses), and after 1963 there ensued high level negotiations which involved the worldwide Governing Body of the Watchtower Society, as well as United States and Great Britain diplomats, in talks with the Tubman Administration. It should be noted that the persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Liberia was not only done to Liberia-citizen Jehovah's Witnesses, but also to many foreign-nations-resident Jehovah's Witnesses. Notably, Milton Henschel (member of the Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide Governing Body), had his scalp split open by a soldier's gun butt at Gbarnga, Liberia during his visit to the Jehovah's Witnesses Convention convening there during March 1963.

    Such were the times...

    Interestingly, many years later when I was elected to the Liberia House of Representatives, Speaker Richard Henries appointed me to chair the House Standing Committee on Culture. Considering that it had been the usual practice since the founding of the Republic that all "philanthropic" organizations - which includes religious groups/institutions - submit an annual report to the Government of Liberia, my Standing Committee on Culture was tasked by Speaker Henries to receive annual reports from all religious groups/institutions, including Jehovah's Witnesses as well as all foreign religious missionary associations. Note also that, as both a General Secretary of the ruling/majority True Whig Party (TWP) and House Chair for Culture, it was my privilege to determine whether a religious missionary's request for immigration approvals would be granted.

    Remarkably, and perhaps ironically, President WVS Tubman's Vice President, William Tolbert, was President of the worldwide Baptist World Alliance from 1965 to 1971 during the height of the Government of Liberia's persecution of the Jehovah's Witnesses during the years following 1963. Imagine - the Liberian society/nation was, simultaneously, enmeshed both in religious dignity and religious intolerance.

    NOW,.... I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses, a Pioneer and Ministerial Servant. (John 6:44)

    - Ijoma Robert Flemister

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    Woman, 78, crashes car into Jehovah's Witnesses church in Darwin

    in Topics

    Posted

    56e593466b840_ScreenShot2016-03-13at9.20

    An elderly female driver has been taken to hospital after driving her car through the entrance of a church in Darwin's north.

    PHOTO: The entry point where the car crashed into the church (Supplied: NT Police)

    NT Police Duty Superintendent Louise Jorgensen said the 78-year-old "incredibly did not suffer any serious injuries" in the incident at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Berrimah on Sunday afternoon.

    It is not known if there were worshippers inside the church at the time of the crash.

    The car was extensively damaged, with both front airbags deployed.

    "The circumstances surrounding the crash are being investigated," Supt Jorgensen said.

    56e59389cfe28_ScreenShot2016-03-13at9.21

    The entry point where the car crashed into the church

    56e593be62006_ScreenShot2016-03-13at9.21

    Geoffrey Jackson

    in Topics

    Posted

    2 hours ago, Joe Smith said:

    ""Fact 1: Jehovah has blessed me with another beautiful wife, "" - So brothers ...if your wife aint beautiful .......you know why ! 

    Take away the word beautiful and his statement would still be true. You are putting his emphasis on a certain word. What if his emphasis was on the word "wife" in the same sentence? The meaning would be different.

    Let's give him the benefit of the doubt and say he is thankful for his wife. With the added plus that she is "beautiful". ;-)

     

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