The Office of the President last evening issued a press release informing the general public that Imam Abdoulie Fatty has been relieved of his services as imam of Sate House Mosque with effect from Tuesday, 4 November 2014.
The release announced the appointment of Imam Muhammad Lamin Touray, president of the Supreme Islamic Council as the new imam of the mosque with effect from the same day.
No reasons were given for either the removal of Imam Fatty nor the appointment of Touray.
Contacted for comment at about 8pm, Imam Touray told The Standard: “I am at a funeral in Gunjur. The alkalo died and at this moment I cannot make any statement on the matter.”
When contacted to react to his removal, Imam Fatty told this paper: “This news and you should report it as it was given to you. I want to thank and praise the president and his entire government. I would like to restate to him my continuing love and loyalty. Since 1995…”
Public debate
However, the strident Saudi trained cleric has been embroiled in a spirited war of words with the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community.
Yesterday afternoon, in an interview at the offices of the Supreme Islamic Council, Imam Fatty refuted allegations of pedaling falsehood and threatening national harmony leveled against him by the members of the community and challenged them to a public debate.
He said: “All the Islamic scholars in Pakistan have reached a consensus that the Ahmadis are not part of the Islamic faith because they deny the finality of Muhammad’s prophethood. All the scholars in Mecca agree that they are not Muslims so it is a fatwa that has clarified their status. It is not me who just jumped up and said they are not Muslims but great scholars in the world including their country of origin Pakistan. Those are not my words. I never claimed they should be killed as they are alleging because that is not the way to go about the propagation of the religion. I am inviting them to a debate at the national stadium, Tallinding Buffer Zone or anywhere else. I will not engage them in continuous debate on newspapers but I would like them to come forward in a debate where people will listen and know the truth.
“If they went back to my records they would have found out that I have always preached against violence like suicide perpetrated by Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda. They know very well the damages they have caused in Salikeni and Mamut Fana. If indeed they are Muslims why don’t they come to pray in our mosques? What I am saying is that if they are banned in Pakistan where their religion started we should ban them here too.”
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