1964 Awake! - Theocratic Collector.com

By "Awake!" correspondent in Liberia
IN MARCH 1963 the world was shocked
by reports of the breakup of a peaceful
religious assembly of Jehovah's witnesses
convened at Gbarnga, Liberia. After being
herded to a military compound, the Witnesses,
foreigners and citizens alike, for
three days were subjected to all manner of
brutal mistreatment by soldiers because
they refused to violate their Christian consciences
and worshipfully salute the flag.
The following month all foreign nationals
who were Jehovah's witnesses, including
missionaries, were told to leave the country.
A detailed report of the incident appeared
in A wake.' of August 8, 1963, following
publication of an open letter of
protest to President Tubman by the president
of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract
Society.
About four months after the publication
of the aforementioned article, or in December
1963, a delegation of Jehovah's
witnesses traveled to Monrovia, Liberia, to
discuss with Liberian President W. V. S.
Tubman the matter of religious liberty for
Jehovah's witnesses in that republic.
Several questions pressed for satisfactory
answers. Would Jehovah's witnesses
be allowed to show respect for the Liberian
flag by standing quietly before it and not
be forced to salute it idolatrously? Would
these Christians be able to preach and
teach the Bible, free from molestation, and
FEBRUARY 8, 1964
hold peaceful meetings and assemblies
without the likelihood of invasion by soldiers?
Would restrictions on building
Kingdom Halls be lifted?
During the interim from the breakup of
the assembly to the discussion of these
questions with President Tubman something
of significance took place.
Liberia Flooded with Protests
When the facts about the assembly
breakup and the brutal persecution became
public knowledge, thousands of persons
who deplored this transgression of basic
human rights were stirred to write letters
of protest to the President of Liberia. Liberian
embassies and consulates in many
countries were also flooded with inquiries,
protests and explanations that Jehovah's
witnesses are peace-loving Christians
whose Bible-based religious views present
no threat to established authority.
With the spotlight of such worldwide indignation
turned on his country, Liberian
President Tubman, in a speech on August
14, 1963, explained that his Government
"deplores, abhors and deprecates brutality
and maltreatment of people under any circumstances,
and when the matter [of the
Gbarnga incident] was brought to its attention
and the guilt of those involved was
established, they were punished because
they violated the law in manhandling and
brutalizing citizens and foreigners." He
15