By Amadou Jadama
Islamic scholar Imam Abdoulie Fatty has issued a stern warning to President Adama Barrow and the National Assembly members not to set the country ablaze.
Addressing Friday congregational prayers at Coastal Road, Fatty renewed his unflinching support and protection of FGM.
President Adama Barrow said his government remains committed to enforcing the prohibition of FGM.
In his sermon, Imam Fatty said: “I want this message to reach to the president, the cabinet, advisers, National Assembly members and the security personnel because they are all part of this. I want to tell them if this country is set ablaze, they are the ones who will be the cause of it. We will never surrender our religion to anybody, and let this be clear to them. Let them stop the West from playing with us. The West has been playing with us for decades, but now it is enough.”
The Imam continued: “They have selected over 30 NAMs and took them to Egypt and those kafirr groups in the country, including the Civil Society, UN agencies like UNICEF and UNFPA mobilised funds and each was paid over D170.000 for their per diem. For what?”
He urged the NAMs to return the monies. “We must practice female circumcision in this country, and let me make that very clear, and I am urging Gambians who respect the practice to keep it. For those who are not doing it, you can leave it. In fact, I told them at the TRRC that any law which is contrary to the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, we will reject it outright,” Fatty said.
“If you don’t stop this campaign, we will file a petition at the Assembly to ensure that by force all Gambian Muslim women go for female circumcision. We must circumcise our daughters and if you don’t like it, that is your business,” Imam warned anti- FGM campaigners.
He said the monies spent on funding trip of the NAMs to Egypt can be better used to provide medicine in hospitals which have no medicine for needy patients. “Just the other day, I went to Kanifing General Hospital with my daughter and I got only one medicine and they told me to go and buy the rest at the private pharmacies,” he said.
