(JollofNews) – During a courtesy call on the President at the State House in Banjul, the world renowned Islamic scholar and preacher Mufti Ismail Menk has spoken so graciously about the overwhelming amount of love and hospitality he has received since arriving in The Gambia last evening.
Describing The Gambia as his ‘’second home’’, Mufti Menk said: ‘’The Gambia has been very high on my list of places to visit since the last twelve years.. So, in my own way, I tried to find out more because it is not easy to just come to a country when you don’t really know so many people to trust them. To fast forward, Allah really wanted me to come at this time and I believe there’s is a reason for it’’.
According to him, he came to the Gambia with a message of peace and respect for differences, particularly the minority, taking into the peaceful coexistence between the different faith groups in The Gambia.
‘’I also believe that you have a very small population of non-Muslims in this country. I would like to remind myself, your Excellency and the entire government that the way we treat the minority says a lot about who we are and what we stand for. We must as Muslims afford them the freedom and rights they deserve’’, he opined.
‘’I am here with a message, not of tolerance because ‘tolerance’ is a word in the English language that has in it a sense of uneasiness, but rather a message of respect; respecting people”.
He said he is an advocate of moderate Islam and ‘’very strongly condemn any acts o
f terrorism, extremism and those who do not believe in peaceful coexistence’’. He promised to never utter any words that would bring disunity and division in the country.
In his welcoming remarks, the President expressed great pleasure in receiving Mufti Menk at the State House in Banjul, saying it couldn’t have come at a better time. He used the opportunity to expressed admiration for his moderate style of preaching, while highlighting the high level of tolerance, unity and coexistence in the country.
Others speakers at the meeting include the Special Adviser to the President on Religious Matters, Alh. Dembo Bojang; the President of Amal Foundation, the organizers, Mr. Lamin Sanyang; and the Emir-ul Hajj, Ousman Jah.
That is really great .
According the Mufti Menk, “we must as Muslims, afford them the freedom and rights they deserve”, thought he made a sense of ambiguity out of the English word “tolerance”!
Indeed Mufti Menk was invited to the Statehouse. Why are every Tom, Harry and Dick from foreign invited to the Statehouse?
Aren’t Gambians plagued by dumb leaderships and weak minded intellectuals?
Come on Bax, Andrew Pjalo, Mwalimu, Mr. Saikou M.K Manneh… It seems you guys indeed are repulsive of terse self-criticism. You only need to prove those self-critics like myself wrong. Why the silence? Isn’t that a sign of intellectual weakness? Just because someone touched down hard on the ills of his own society so you guys rather keep the quiet to that…
Haven’t you read between the lines of Mufti Menk? Did it occur to you that any specific cross section the Gambian society could be referred to as “A Very Small”? Gee! We want to flex like; in the service of the Gambia …? Be aware; Fire there Muss Muss Tail!
However, I wouldn’t go out there in Twitter for one little bit of a reason because even the most dangerous and narcissist world leaders are there to spread hate and violence across the world like a Wild West.
Stay put and keep it up Jollofnews!
Oh No Bourne! I do try to mince my words so I’m not labeled the infidel! Not that I care what the Pharisees think of me. You got me started Bourne!
My take is that Muftis, flamboyant evangelists and those that proclaim their religious beliefs at the rooftops shouldn’t be invited to the state house when urgent matters need to be tackled everyday! With so much work to get done, why waste state resources on a Mufti that we don’t know from Adam? It is clear to me that the majority of these Muftis, Sergn Bi, Afangs and Imams are mooches and leeches living off of our unsuspecting brethren.
Dumb and poor leadership and weak minds are indeed what we see everyday Bourne! We already spend too much time hanging around Masjids doing anything but productive work!
I’m gonna lose my head shaking it everyday upon hearing and reading about one bad news after the other. Don’t we have better things to in The Gambia other than silly photo ops with nonentities? After all Mr and Mrs Barrow (Musu Koyo Saasa Boro) need a new outfit for each photo op. Don’t they? Duuh!
What’s the other fellow from Pakistan’s name again? The fiery preacher that was a frequent visitor/milker under Yaya Jammeh. Sure enough, these preachers take us as the silly and dumb Africans that’ll readily throw millions of state monies at them for free! They’ll milk us for what we are worth so why not come get it they’d say!
Bourne I laughed. I think you got most of us here sleeping on this one. I honesty did not bother to read the article because governance has become a thing of fanfare in The Gambia. I won’t like to interpret what Menk said or did not say, yet I believe he has no business in state house. Like Dawda and Yaya did, Adama is also using religion to solidify his grip on power and that’s terrifying. For they end up claiming divine ordinance to justify daylight thievery combined with deadly brutality.
Gambians are also complicit in their own exploitation and oppression because just as we have witnessed on this platform with this article, we have the tendency to get weary and complacent.
Good eyes Bourne, good eyes.
Keep it up!!
Andrew Pjalo, ‘musu koyo sasaa booroo’ hope skin bleach do not destroy skin melanin. On oufits, i would say: one good turn deserves another. Heyday for the Dakar based tailor. Oh, do you think a Gambian tailor has that contract? I just can’t understand why he can’t rely on moderate cheap African suits. I think we can simply lay off ideas or desires to show off expensive outfits that we think has something to do with culture or identity. What does a £150 traditional gown or kaftan means in a country where less than 5% of the learner population has a chance of getting a place in the university? Prince Charles’ suit may be very expensive or as cheap as every Briton could afford but, don’t be surprised if you come learn the royal budget is far way bigger than the Gambia’s economy.
Mwalimu, do you even need to interpret what Mufti Menk said. What he said was simple and outright. I know you know what I mean. Should freedom and rights be afforded? Who therefore would be that provider of freedom and right and who would be those at the mercy of the provider. I think you are more a scaredy cat than Andrew Pjalo who at least made it clear he’d mince his words in order not to be labelled an infidel. Smiles!