By Aisha Tamba
The president of Rawdatul Majaalis has called on all imams and Muslim leaders to campaign against the normalisation and acceptance of gay rights in The Gambia.
Speaking in an audio sent to The Standard, Alhaji Baba Abubakr Drammeh stated: “We the Muslims of this country should reject this belief outright. We know that The Gambia is a democratic country and human rights counts and it should be observed, that is acceptable.
If gay rights laws are to be implemented, then they should be passed through the National Assembly. If the lawmakers accept them, that’s when they will be approved as law but if they [the lawmakers] disapproved, they wouldn’t make a law. And I am 100 percent sure that all the lawmakers are God-fearing Muslims. I believe that this law will not be approved by the lawmakers. I also believe that our democratic president, Adama Barrow, will not accept such laws in the country.
“We are calling on everybody to show solidarity in a peaceful manner and make sure that gay rights do not exist in this country, ” he recommended.
Sheriff Nano Hydara also warned that “so-called” gay rights and acceptance of sex-same unions would be a disaster to humanity.
“We want to advise the government and lawmakers to make sure that gay marriage is never accepted in this country. If the European Union thinks it has money and that is why it wants to implement its laws in this country, let it keep its money to itself. Our faith and hopes are in the hands of Allah. Let us put our faith in Allah, not the European Union.”
He called on all the imams under Rawdatul Majaalis and Supreme Islamic Council to come out and show solidarity in opposing the propagation of gay rights and marriage in a peaceful manner. “We do not want it and we will not accept it. The Europeans have their money and we have our religion, let them keep their money and we keep our religion. This message is for all imams to preach from their pulpits and show The Gambia government that the people of this country do not want gay rights or gay marriages.”
