What advice does Islam give the people of Sierra Leone after the conflicts?

Whoever wants to preserve peace must keep state and religion apart. The state should not interfere in faith, religions should not interfere in government, and every religion should be free to work as long as it does no harm to society.

After years of internal conflict, the people of Sierra Leone long for lasting peace. The most important advice for this remains the same, before, during or after the fighting. State and religion are two separate things and should be kept apart.

The government should not interfere in religion, and religions should not interfere in government. Christianity, Islam, traditional religions and people of no religion should all be free to work within their own sphere. The only limit is the freedom of others, which no one may violate.

Every religion should play a role that benefits society as a whole. It should help its followers become better people and better citizens. Only when a group causes harm in the name of religion and becomes an evil influence may the state step in. At that point it is no longer a matter of faith but a matter for the state.

How a person worships God is a matter between him and God. No state and no majority has the right to interfere. The second verse above says that God Himself will judge between the followers of the religions on the Day of Resurrection. In this life, what matters is living together peacefully and justly.