Imam Abdoulie Fatty has accused the Gambian government of maintaining the ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to satisfy Western donors and generate revenue, describing the legislation as “the worst” law left by former President Yahya Jammeh.
Delivering his Friday Khutbah (sermon), the prominent cleric said the law, which criminalises FGM, should have been repealed “long ago,” alleging that prosecutions and related programs have become a source of income for the state.
“The government failed to repeal the worst law left by Yahya Jammeh,” Fatty said. “The FGM law remains because it generates income for the government.”
The Gambia outlawed FGM in 2015, imposing penalties of up to three years in prison or fines of D50,000. The legislation was hailed by international rights groups as a milestone for women’s rights, but Fatty argued the decision was influenced by “a minority group of unmarried women and civil society” to gain “a good name from the West.”
He recalled an incident during Jammeh’s presidency in which current National Assembly Speaker Fabaakary Tombong Jatta reportedly told then-Vice President Isatou Njie-Saidy: “We will not accept it.”
Fatty also referred to the case of Mansata Camara also referredto as Fadia Camara, who is being held at Mile Two Prison after allegedly performing FGM on a young girl who later died from the procedure. He described the incident as an “accident” and said her trial is scheduled for September.
The Imam accused the government of neglecting “serious matters,” citing the deaths of more than 70 children from contaminated Indian-made cough syrup as an example. He further claimed that FGM is still practiced in countries like Malaysia and across Asia.
Warning of “Western-driven laws,” Fatty said some jurisdictions classify “a husband touching his wife when she is not in the mood” as marital rape a standard he fears could enter Gambian law. He predicted “more stringent laws” if the current administration is re-elected in 2026.
He also criticised politicians for campaign promises focused on water and electricity instead of religious priorities. “People have lived healthy lives without electricity,” he argued.
