By Juldeh Njie
Recently a video of a young Gambian Isis militant, Dawda Jallow, went viral. In the ensuing debate in the media, certain commentators attribute his radicalisation to having been school in a madrassa. However this has not gone down well with some people.
One Momodou Fatty, a resident of Bundung yesterday afternoon walked into the offices of The Standard to express his dissatisfaction and disappointment in the way and manner in which the madrassa people and Islam at large are being portrayed.
The 58-year old muezzin said: “I’m really sad to see a young Muslim man involving in such heinous acts with the so-called Islamic jihadist who are alleged to be from madrassas.”
“I am disappointed with those who are saying the government should investigate madrassas in this country because this boy went to an English school in Nusrat not to a madrassa. The Gambia madrassas stand for peace and always preach peace. Our great scholars like Omar Bun Jeng, Abdoulie Fatty and Oustas Alieu Kanteh are all madrassa products and teachers preaching peace but they never cause any problem in this country.”
Fatty said it is high time that terrorists stop associating themselves with Muslims and the Islamic religion because Islam stands for peace, and preaches peace. Even the way we greet salam aleikum (peace be upon) shows that it stands for peace and the people of The Gambia especially Muslims are not an exception to that peace.
He warned the people brushing madrassas with a paint of terrorism to “leave the people of Sunnah alone because they are just following the teachings of Prophet Muhammed and should not be associated with terrorists
“Those enemies of Islam should be careful because Islam is a religion of God, anyone who is against it, he or she is against Allah.”
Responding to the people who are telling the government to investigate about madrassas, the Bundung muezzin said: “I know the Gambian leader will not pay attention to the unfounded accusations about the madrassas because President Barrow is good person and a good Muslim who will not waste his time on this issue.”
On the issue of the recent clash between Muslims and the Ahmadis, Mr Fatty said he supports the view of Imam Fatty that government should provide a cemetery for the Ahmadis adding that “Ahmadis are not Muslims because they don’t believe in Prophet Muhammad and his teachings and anyone who refuses even a word in the Holy Qur’an is not qualified to be call a Muslim.”
