EXTREMISTS AND FUNDAMENTALISTS ATTEMPTING TO CREATE DISORDER IN THE COUNTRY
We express our sincere and profound gratefulness to Allah Almighty Who enabled us all to witness and experience a very successful and peaceful conduction of both the Presidential and National Assembly
elections under the atmosphere of peace, security; unity and joy. and on behalf of Ahmadiyya Muslim
Jama’at, The Gambia and my own humble behalf, I wish to congratulate Your Excellency and all the New Parliamentarians and also pray for your successes in the office during your mandated times. Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat will continue working with the Government and other Institutions for the development and progress of our dear motherland The Gambia.
Your Excellency, we have concerns pertaining to some of the Wahabi/Salafi scholars and Imams in the country notably Imam Abdoulie Fatty and Sheikh Chebbd Oggo Cham. These two and others among their scholars and Imams have been instigating hate, threats and spreading false allegations against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at. The aim of these scholars is not to only to create violence or atrocities against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at members but also against other Muslim sects, other faiths and the Government of the country. On Saturday 30th November 2019 at the graduation ceremony of The Movement for Islamic Research and Da’wah held at Chaddafi Mosque, Serekunda, Imam Abdoulie Fatty informed at that gathering that “You should all endeavour because this country belongs to all of us not only those who learned ABC. This country was governed by some other people in history
who have no knowledge of ABC we have kings who don’t know ABC, We have chiefs (Seyfolo) who don’t know ABC. You are the best people to run this country, if you have memorized the book of Allah and was able to read ABC you are obviously the one fit to govern our affairs. Let us not set ourselves backward, that is not salafism to say that we will allow people to continue ruling us and they will continue sitting on our heads that is not salafiyao”
On the 21st February 2020 at Mahad Talinding Arabic School, Imam Abdoulie Fatty stated that “…They questioned one of our elder’s here that, if someone accepted Ahmadiyyat what should Muslims do to that individual? He didn’t respond to that question. His respond should have been that he should be killed outright without a second thought. This verdict was issued by the Holy Prophet (saw). It is not us who demanded that they should be killed or that it is our intension to do that but instated it is the Holy Prophet who commanded that, whoever deno person should be killed,”
On The Standard Newspaper issue of Tuesday 7th June 2022, an interview of Sheikh Chebbo Oggo Cham was mentioned with the heading “Chebbo warns of consequences if Imams get arrested over stance on Ahmadis.”
Imam Abdoulie Fatty made a similar threat during their recently held Conference on Thursday 2 nd June 2022 at Talinding Islamic Institute stating that “Parliament be careful, if this religion is spoilt, even if you bring all the soldiers in Africa, America and the whole world, we would hit each other here and nothing would stop that from happening. All your securities would be spoilt and destroyed. Stop this useless religion.” The same Imam also made similar threatening and inciting remarks against Hon. OJ Jallow and Hon. Touma Njie arguing that the duo could have been beheaded if they’d made their mosque comments in the time of Hazrat Umar Bun Khattab on December 20th 2019.
We wonder why are they using school premises in front of students, teachers and others spreading hatred and inciting violence. Anybody is allowed to preach about his or her faith but not to castigate, abuse and insult the leaders of other faiths.
Your Excellency, Imam Abdoulie Fatty started castigating against the Jama’at on Friday 6th June 1997 and in one of his sermons he said that Ahmadis should be brought to the McCarthy Square and be killed. The same Imam Fatty was involved in the St. Therese’s School uniform matter.
As clearly indicated wherever these Wahabi/Salafi Leaders are found, they are bent on creating disorder, disturbances and conflicts be it in East Africa, West Africa or Middle East. In The Gambia, they have attempted and have failed but the Government should monitor them. The relevant authorities should monitor their activities and take their threats seriously,
Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, The Gambia never created any disorder or conflict in this country. Members of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at have always been law-abiding and peaceful citizens not only in The Gambia, but anywhere we are found in the world we are also defending and spreading the true teachings of Islam under one leader. The Gambia under the Constitution is a secular state where each citizen of this country can express and demonstrate his or her religious beliefs, freedom of expression, assembly, worship etc, The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at is not an exception to this provision.
As Ahmadi Muslims, we firmly believe in the Five Pillars of Islam, we believe in the Holy Prophet of Islam, Muhammad Mustapha(saw), believing him to be the Seal of Prophets and the Last Law-Bearing Prophet and Honouring and Revering him more than any person who ever lived in this world or who was and will ever be created by Allah Almighty. We believe in Allah Almighty, firmly believing that He is pure and has no flaws or faults and complete in all His Beautiful Attributes. We believe in not only serving Allah Almighty but serving His creation and humanity at large hence the charitable activities of the Jama’at throughout the whole world. As members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, we never declare anyone as Kafir (disbelievers) because Allah Almighty has not given that authority to anyone. In a hadith, Usamah ibn Zayd reported: The Messenger ofAllah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent us on an expedition. In the morning we attacked Al-Huraqat of Juhaynah. I caught hold of a man and he said, “There is no god but Allah!” but I stabbed him. Then it occurred to me that I should mention that to the Prophet. The Prophet said, ‘Did he say ‘there is no god but Allah’ and you killed him?” I said, “0 Messenger of Allah, he only said it fearing the weapon.” The Prophet said, ‘Did you tear open his heart to know if he meant it or not?” The Prophet continued to repeat this to me until I had wished I had not embraced Islam until that day. Source: $afii& al-Bukhärr 6478, $abrtl Muslim 96.
As Ahmadi Muslims, we believe that There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad(saw) is His Prophet and Messenger. This is what we firmly believe in without wavering and this is what we hold dearer to our hearts more than anything and this is what we practice. Since the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) himself did not welcome the action of Usama ibn Zayd for declaring someone who said the Shaddah as only a mere declaration, we don’t believe that anyone has the authority to declare us as disbelievers. Allah Almighty knows best and He is the ultimate Judge because one’s believe and faith is between him or her and God Almighty.
We are humbly writing this letter to bring to the attention of Your Excellency the President and relevant Authorities and Institutions the continued threats we have been receiving from these Wahabi and Salafi leaders and for the Government to be aware. We believe that these are threats today which may turn into actual actions in the near future not only against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at but other citizens and non-citizens’ residence of this country who share different views from them. (May God forbid). Their ulterior motive and intention is to unseat the Governments where they reside.
We should all safeguard the peaceful and coexisting brotherhood, peace, love, tolerance, understanding and unity we are enjoying in this country. Without peace we cannot have any meaningful development, without security we cannot happily move around and carryout our day to day activities in peace. Without peace and stability, we cannot even worship Allah Almighty in the proper way.
We believe that the Government, Political Parties, Religious and Community leaders should all actively preach peace and promote peaceful coexistence no matter what faith one belongs to or what opinion one has as long as such is not against the Peace of this country and law of the land. If we differ in opinion, we should peacefully discuss our differences but one should not threaten or compel others to give up their faith and this is a firm stance of Islam which is a religion of peace as Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran in Surah Baqara Chapter 2 Verse 257: “There should be no compulsion in religion” hence the Holy Prophet of Islam Muhammad Mustapha(saw) never forced anyone to accept Islam but was even so peaceful that he had to leave his beloved home of Mecca to migrate to Medina under the command of Allah Almighty. All the battles fought by the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) were defensive battles and not offensive battles as Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran Surah Hajj Chapter 22 Verse 40 “Permission to fight is given to those against whom war is made, because they have been wronged.” These battles were fought not only to safeguard Muslims but also people of other faiths as the Holy Quran states in Surah Hajj Chapter 22 Verse 41: “Those who have been driven out from their homes unjustly only because they said, ‘Our Lord is Allah’ – And if Allah did not repel some men by means of others, there would surely have been pulled down cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft commemorated. And Allah will surely help one who helps Him. Allah is indeed powerful, Mighty.”
As we have mentioned earlier and as mentioned in this verse of the Holy Quran, if such people and their threats and actions are not repelled, the peace of not only Ahmadi Muslims in this country will be disturbed but people of other Muslim sects and other religions as well because we have seen such examples in other parts of Africa and in the world where mosques and churches are being attacked and innocent people losing their lives.
It is only for the peace and love and the stability of this country that is why we are writing this letter to Your Excellency and drawing the attention of other relevant authorities and institutions to this matter,
May God Almighty further establish peace, tranquillity, prosperity, security and progress on our dear and beloved motherland The Gambia, Sub region and the whole world at large.
Ameen.
Wassalam
Yours Sincerely,
Baba F. Trawally, Amir.
