Essays

Aren't we but theological misfits Obnoxious to the powers that be Filling the Pharisees with rage Denying that our God dwell apart We died to death itself, many moons ago Survived the aftermath of dear life ...........

“Modernity holds out lifestyle options centered on the self, and on the lower, agitated possibilities of the human condition. Every word of every magazine now breathes the message of the ego: explore yourself, free yourself, be yourself. Buy a Porsche to express your identity; dress in a cacharel suit to make a statement about yourself; be seen in the right places....

The rise of the darkest form of irrationalism coupled with blind dogma, and intolerant fundamentalism is now defining the landscape of a region, once known for its great mystical and tolerant theological scholars. West Africa has become in very recent times a bastion for the breed of a burnt-out type of Islam. A dogmatic, literalist and anthropomorphic theology, which found its following within the ranks and file of the extremist Salafi movement. It's a movement that's characterised by mostly young people, who in the beginning are very sober minded but gradually get tainted with the deep and darker beliefs of a movement that abhors anything innovative and creative within the realms of the religion....

Dear editor, I read with keen interest your editorial of Wednesday, March 12. I cannot agree with you more. You wrote: “The overuse of plastic bags has become a cause of concern to many, not just environmentalists. They are used for everything, everywhere. At the shops, at shopping malls, at supermarkets, at the village markets even at funerals for disbursing cans of soft carbonated drinks and biscuits, not to talk about plastic sachets for low-end 'NAAN' drinks....

“May we live to see many days, may this environment be stable and may this day be a blessed one by virtue of the Lord of Makkah and Madinah and by virtue of our righteous ancestors.. '' And thus the prayers continue on, seeking blessings and grace for one another....

The global campaign to eradicate female genital mutilation has been going on three decades and it is all geared towards raising awareness about the harmful effects of the practice on innocent girls and women. In The Gambia despite all the conventions signed and policies in place to protect women and girl-children, the debate...

Muhammed Jagana, president of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has said that public private partnerships could go a long way in propelling growth through employment creation and revenue generation.

The head of the Ecowas Bureau in The Gambia has called attention to the use of small arms and light weapons, which he said has been growing significantly in the drug trade and terrorism. Mr Moussa Dabal described this phenomenon as “dangerous” and said that it needs urgent attention. Addressing participants at a three-day capacity building workshop for Gambian journalists

Limamou THIAW, son of Alassane Thiaw and Coumba Ndoye, was born in 1843 in an environment of a triumphant paganism where Islam was but superficially practiced. The predestined name (Limamou = Al Imam = the guide) his father gave him was from Mamadou Ba, a marabout from the Toucouleur ethnic group, also called Limamou of Oro-Mahdi (a village Fouta in the northern part of Senegal.

It is with immense joy and pride that I congratulate my brother His Excellency Dr Goodluck Jonathan, the Government and valiant people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the auspicious occasion of your Centenary celebrations. My delegation appreciates the warm hospitality and the excellent facilities put at our disposal for this all important event. I wish to express our gratitude to the Government and people of Nigeria...

For the third time in as many years, we are writing an editorial welcoming our reappearance on the newsstands. It has indeed been a very chequered existence for XL Standard Company Ltd, the publishers of The Standard newspaper. Our path may have been strewn with many thorns but we take solace in the eternal truism as quoted in our Jaliba aphorism of today: However long the night, the dawn will break.

Lamin Camara, deputy permanent secretary, Ministry of Information Technology, has denied that the Gambia Government has blocked the Internet portal, Viber. Viber is a proprietary cross-platform instant messaging voice-over-Internet protocol application for smartphones.