(JollofNews) – The imam of Gambia’s State House, Alhaji Abdoulie Fatty, has refuted allegations that the umbrella body that represents the affairs of Gambian Muslims;
the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council, is being exploited by President Yahya Jammeh.
Imam Fatty said President Jammeh does not hold the organisation in contempt but supports them in their drive to perfect the Islamic religion in the country.
“Yahya Jammeh does not hold us in contempt and he can never do so because we are in pursuit of the perfection of the religion of Islam,” Imam Fatty told the privately-owned Standard Newspaper.
He added: “Of all the people seeking to be presidents of the Gambia , it is only Yahya Jammeh who has given support to the Supreme Islamic Council. None of the politicians has ever bought a bag of cement to the Supreme Islamic Council and said, ‘add this to your construction work’.
“There is a lot more to the work of the Supreme Islamic Council than just sighting of the moon. There was a Supreme Islamic Council before [during the previous PPP government] that was accused of being politicians but never had problem with former Jawara.
“Alhaji Soriba was here during Jawara’s time and he used to go up to his office but they never had a problem. So the allegation that President Jammeh holds the council in contempt is without basis. Any person who asks you to stay away from politics has both his feet and hands in it.”
