Dr Bilal Phillips argued that this is to ensure that good morals are imbued in young people.
He made this comment on Tuesday in an address he delivered during the graduation ceremony of 174 students who have gone through a one-year Intensive English Language Course offered by the Islamic Online University.
The Jamaican-born Canadian scholar said: “We need to take over control of our education process because we are Muslims. In all of the schools whether private or public, we should have Gambians who know the culture and appreciate the Islamic components in order to preserve the society’s morals. This is because in the end, it is about morality. That is what the Prophet summarised in moral terms as in, ‘I was only sent to perfect for the highest of moral character traits.’ This is what separates the Muslim from the non-Muslim. It is about morality but not our technology or our wealth. This morality is conveyed only by education and that is why the Prophet said that, ‘seeking knowledge is compulsory on all Muslims.’ It is only through the educational process that morality is firmly embedded in society from the lowest level to the highest. This is what we need.”
Dr Philips said the grand design of his institution is to complement the efforts of the University of The Gambia on education especially, within the Madrassa setup in the country.
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