Thursday 02 July | Alkali Cham
The Rawdatul Majaliz last Sunday conveyed a press conference at its headquarters in Abuko. This press briefing centred on the Rawdatul Majaliz position on the recent call of the EU ambassador to The Gambia to promote gay rights, which Rawda and its backed Supreme Islamic Council collectively condemned.
Calls for Gay rights in The Gambia has brought about so much controversy among people of all works of life within the community, this dominates the discussion on social platforms across the country .
Speaking at the press briefing, sheik Alagie Kanteh, 1st vice president for Rawda Tul Majaliz condemned the call for gay rights in The Gambia, this concept he described as western ideology and said same sex marriage is unacceptable in Islam, he warned. He added that in the time of prophet Lutt, men used to have intimacy with each other which brought severe curse and destruction to them which led to their ultimate end due to the degree of sin associated with what he described as inhuman act.
Mr Kanteh went further to warn that this will attract so much calamity to the country if homosexuality exist in the name of promoting human rights. He added that human right is a natural right which Allah himself created, but homosexuality and its related matters are never part of it, based on that, same sex marriage must not be allowed to stand as Gambia is dominated by Muslims which statistics shows that Gambia has about 95% Muslim population.
He calls on other Islamic scholars, individuals and National assembly to join the crusade in condemning the call for gay rights as it has no place in The Gambia and it's illegal in Islam. He suggested that the country should prefer to deep root in poverty than consenting to imperial dictates which may allow practice of an act, which is totally forbidden by our creator, Allah.
Adding his voice to the condemnation, Sheriff Nano Hydara, president of Rawda backed supreme Islamic council challenged the credibility of a well known Imam whose identity he would not disclose, whom he accused of raising concern for gay rights to be promoted in Gambia backing himself with non existing verses of Quran and Hadith of the prophet. He added that this is a western belief which cannot exist in this country as Gambia is purely religious nation and has strong cultural values that oppose such practices. He went further to ask people who pray behind this Imam to boycott his lead congregation as he is not what he claim to be in Islam.
Other speakers included Momodou Lamin Yaffa, second vice president of Rawdatul Majaliz, and Abubacarr Jabbi, PRO of Rawdatul Majaliz and other important members of both Rawda and their council.