Straight-talking Islamic ccleric Imam Ba-Kawsu Fofana has suggested that the NPP administration could take a path to self-destruction if it chooses to hurt the Mandinka ethnic group.
President Adama Barrow and the National People’s Party have still left tongues wagging as they have yet to publicly condemn the tribal remarks of the deputy House speaker, who recently bragged that he thwarted the promotion of two civil servants because of their Mandinka ethnic background. Several days have now passed, yet no condemnation was forthcoming, except from senior ruling party figure Maimuna Ceesay.
Mrs. Ceesay’s call on the NPP to condemn, in the strongest possible terms, Njie’s tribal remarks has so far failed to galvanize the party into adopting a firm stance.
However, there was no shortage of condemnations, and even warnings from concerned citizens about how far-reaching and wide-ranging the ramifications of tribalism.
One such warning came from prominent Islamic cleric Imam Ba-Kawsu Fofana, who warned President Barrow and the NPP that sustained hurting of the Mandinka tribe has a potential of a repeat of 2016 when The Gambia’s largest ethnic group united forces against former President Yahya Jammeh because “he insulted their tribe”.
Imam Fofana advised Barrow to be cautious of treading Jammeh’s path to self-destruction.
“Yahya Jammeh was yanked out because he dared to insult the Mandinka tribe. The song that brought yesterday’s concert to an unceremonious end will surely bring today’s show to abrupt if it’s sung. Ten years ago, Jammeh insulted Mandinkas and when they told him that he was insulting Mandinkas, he threatened that he was going to deport them to Mali. Today, Yahya Jammeh is somewhere farther in the East behind Mali in Equatorial Guinea,” Imam Fofana said in his sermons on Friday last week.
He continued: “Adama, the Mandinka ethnic group is dangerous. You are from the Mandinka tribe. You were enthroned by the Mandinkas and you still have Mandinkas rallied behind you. Don’t allow Seedy Njie to sing the same song that unceremoniously ended Jammeh’s show.”
Earlier in his sermon, Sheikh Bakawsu Fofana sought to emphasise to President Barrow, his government, the deputy House speaker Seedy Njie and the entire country that Mandinkas can avenge abuses perpetrated against them.
“So, what I would like to tell you is that let the President be calm,” he stated. “He is a Mandinka. As I said earlier, Mandinkas fight back. When a Mandinka [Momodou Sabally] insulted Mandinkas, a coalition was formed and Mandinkas threw their absolute weight behind it. When Mandinkas were ready to take over The Gambia [independence struggle], they led the charge and other tribes that embraced the idea followed from behind. Even when it was necessary to wage a war for it, Mandinkas would have been the one to fight.”
Imam Ba-Kawsu hinted that Mandinkas continued to play the vanguard role in shaping The Gambia’s political history even after the attainment of nationhood.
“When Yahya Jammeh also came, it was the Mandinkas who gave him a shoulder to climb on. Basirou Barrow and other soldiers were the masterminds of the coup and they supported Yahya Jammeh. People like Baba Jobe entrenched him [Jammeh] in this country. But when he [Jammeh] insulted Mandinkas, they deserted him and decided among themselves to scout a Mandinka because a good son of the land; Ousainou Darboe was in jail. Yahya Jammeh was booted out because he insulted Mandinkas.”
Imam Fofana entreated the Gambia’s Mandinkas to exercise patience.
“Be patient, Mandinkas. This country belongs to you, be patient. Blessings never die. You are a blessed tribe. Be patient with Adama Barrow, be patient with Seedy Njie’s utterances and be patient with insults from the NPP,” he advised.
He called on Mandinkas in all the climes of the country to register and vote so that there country will not go to the dogs.
“From region to region, seek voter’s cards and seek the country so that it will not be ruined because it’s your country. If you retaliate, that will be well and fine but if you choose patience over revenge, that’s also fine. Be patient, Mandinkas. Maybe, they will not insult you again. If they do, they will come to a realisation in December that the mothers of Mandinkas have served their husbands well. Mandinkas do not shy away from fighting their fight,” he postulated.
Also in his last Friday’s sermon, Imam Fofana sought to remind Gambia’s other ethnic groups that Mandinkas have never been tribalists.
“Mandinka speakers are not only found in The Gambia alone, but The Gambian Mandinka speakers and Mandinkas are not tribalists. No Mandinka knows tribalism. Mandinkas don’t know tribalism because they have risen above it. They are too enlightened for that and they are higher above that [low] level,” he explained, adding: “Before the arrival of Islam or the White men and throughout the colonial era up to independence, Mandinkas have elevated themselves above tribalism.
A Mandinka does not take sides between tribes. And you know what’s the problem with Mandinkas; they stand up to oppression. They are a no-nonsense tribe and they go all out for it. They stand up against injustice but they are not tribalist just to make it crystal clear to the listeners [of his sermon].
Mandinkas have all the beautiful attributes, be it a Mandinka Muslim or non-Muslim. There is no Mandinka community in The Gambia that did not embrace Islam. The Mandinka, who did not convert to Islam, is no longer here. Maybe, the one who went astray. They [non-Mandinka Muslims] could be found in any Mandinka settlement in Casamance and Guinea Bissau. If you say Mandinkas are enlightened, resourceful, ready to battle it out, brave… Mandinkas have all the traits of nobility, praise-worthiness and greatness. They have surpassed people in many races. They are not lagging behind whether it’s in leadership, wealth and guardianship of knowledge.
Mandinkas have guardianship over knowledge and control over people. They are providing leadership for countries from the past to date. They are warriors and they are brave. So, Mandinka is not the one to languish behind. A Mandinka is not to be berated. They have no trait to be despised, except those who left the fold. The only thing about Mandinkas is that they are ready to fight for the right thing. That may be worrying others, but that’s a praiseworthy attribute.”
He reiterated that Mandinkas don’t take nonsense, adding that even Allah has forgiven the actions of those trying to resist abuse so that they would not be overlooked.
“That’s what Mandinkaness embodies. No tribe will underestimate us, no country will underestimate us. Mandinkas will say no one will berate me whether you are rich or poor, whether you are a ruler or a peasant. This is what Mandinkaness embodies. That’s not an attribute to be criticised,” he stated.
He continued: “You will offend some people and they will overlook your trespass because maybe they eschew violence or are coerced into silence because they are currying favours from you because of your wealth or position as a ruler. This is what Mandinkas cannot do. That’s not violence. That is not lawlessness and it’s a praiseworthy attribute. Allah says when they attack you and you retaliate to a point that everyone says this tribe is untouchable and they can effectively deal with provocations… If they attack you and you recoil and endure it because you want to protect your wealth or you are coaxing the President, Allah says that’s also good. So this is not something to be criticised. Mandinkas did not do anything criticism-worthy.
Mandinkaness is a blessing. God says to the Prophet that he should not allow his enemies to underrate him, not even the devils. He told the Prophet to be tough so that nothing would underrate him even the devils, that the Jews were his enemies and that he should be always battle-ready for living things and be ready to break anyone who dared to attack him. You don’t realise the fact that all Mandinkas are always prepared. Let the sleeping dog lie. If the rashes do not rankle you, then do not scratch the rashes. We can beat you and beat those who can beat you. Well before the advent of Islam, we [Mandinkas] conquered tribes. Before the arrival of the white people, we defeated tribes and we had no outstanding defeat with any tribe to settle.
We can beat even those who can beat you. Ask about the old battles. We had an edge in warfare. Everyone in Manding was fortified, whether unlettered or not, they all headed to the compounds of the marabouts to get prepared. Please, stop it. Please, stop it. Manding was ever victorious and no one ever defeated it [in battle]. That’s what Allah said. Be prepared to confront enemies and that was what Manding did.
“The Prophet taught children letters, but he also taught them battle skills. He taught horsemanship, archery and water navigation to children between 12 and 14 years because some battle-lines were divided by water and you can’t reach the frontline without swimming skills. That’s bravery so that you would not be defeated. These are the same attributes adopted by the Mandinkas. We were victorious even during Sundiata’s time. We defeated the tribes. Mandinkas were brave and they conquered tribes. That bravery is still in them. Leave the Mandinkas. Please, do not rankle the rashes. Politics should not warrant it. The Mandinkas have always been victorious whether in tribal wars, jihads, racial conflicts…To subdue and enslave was a part of the Mandinka history. They are blessed and brave. They have those qualities up till today.”
In the first part of his sermon, Imam Fofana said: “Praise be to God, the Lord of all the Creation. We thank and praise Allah for blessing us to be humans, his blessing in making us Muslims and to be part of the followers of the Prophet [Prophet Muhammed] and the blessing of being a Mandinka and the blessing of family ties and neighborliness.
We pray to God above everything for a better management of these blessings as did our forefathers. May Allah give us the guidance to appreciate and safeguard his blessings to us. May Allah help and protect us just as He protected the elders and generations before us. May He provide guidance for us and help us keep our dignity intact. And I pray to God to guide us on the right path of our past elders such as the right path to God that the Prophet bequeathed to us.
We seek Allah’s protection from all forms of dangerous provocations, disastrous and ignominious end, doom and torment, direct attack, under-estimating one another and violence.
May Allah protect us from these vices in politics, religion and how we live as neighbours and tribes. May Allah protect us from the temptation of Satan and his words meant to stoke violence, knocking heads together; whether it’s a Satan in human form or Satan in the real Satan form, in our political affairs, religion and interactions as people of different ethnic background. And I pray to Allah to forgive our sins; ones we are aware of and those we are oblivious of whether deliberate or not, major or minor, those [sins] we committed in secret and in the public glare and the sins we committed against each other knowingly or unknowingly.
After all, we pray to God to accept our deeds of worship, prayers and charity and favour those of us who departed with Heaven. We pray for Allah’s protection for our offspring so that they may not derail from the right path to the track of destruction. Amen, Amen, Amen.”
