- Imam Bakawsu Fofana is forced into exile after he was detained and tortured for preaching the word of God
The Gambia’s fearless exiled Muslim cleric has nothing to regret, Kairo News has learnt. The former Imam of Sanchaba Sulay Jobe mosque had been forced into exile after enduring the state security brutality. Imam Ba-Kawsu Fofana today owns a village in Senegal’s southern province of Casamance. Ba-Kawsu’s newly established village named after his Jarra Sankwia compound is part of Sedio district. Imam Fofana is today inviting Muslims to the inauguration of a new mosque in Sobeya Kunda.
The news of Ba-Kawsu’s rapid adjustment was broken to Foroyaa newspaper by the preacher’s younger brother. Imam Fofana had been hosted by the Grand Marabout of Taslima village, El-hadj Sedia Diaby since he fled The Gambia. But according to Omar Fofana, the host decided that Imam Fofana needed to own a village to allow him to keep up with the increasing rise in his student population. With support from the Senegalese government, El-hadj Sedia Diaby’s family helped with the creation of Sobeya Kunda.
Senegalese authorities will today hand over the village stamp to Ba-Kawsu, confirming his alkaloship. Fofana will also be ordained as the Imam of Sobeya Kunda.
Imam Fofana is thankful to the people and government of Senegal, particularly El-hadj Sedia Diaby and family.
Imam Fofana has been reportedly traveling from village to village preaching the word of Allah. Many people in Casamance admire Imam Fofana’s boldness to tell truth to power. He is unlike the Supreme Islam Council leadership that has been cowed by the Jammeh dictatorship.
“Like prophets, heroes are never celebrated at home,” one religious leader told Kairo News, heaping praises on Imam Fofana for upholding the truth throughout. “He has proven to the world that he is ready to die than bend the sanctity of Allah who is now rewarding him.”
Ends
Bakawsu Fofana is a man of God who believes in truth and honest way of living. This is a reward of his wisdom, diligent, truthfulness and faith in God. I pray that God guide him and protect him. Mr Fofana even extended invitation to his torturer (dictator Jammeh). This shows that he is man of faith , civilized and tolerance. I hope our idiotic president will learn from this but I double it because in his narrow mind, he think he is invincible. Jammeh after his presidency will regret why he was born and this is why he prefer to die as president.
All Praise be to Allah for granting Imam Ba Kawsu Fofana the dignity he deserves. For those who have contact with him, please ask him to continue praying for the end of injustice and the prevalence of justice, peace and prosperity in our beloved country. May God continue to bless him and his new settlement.
Very good news. Allah abarika
Mansha Allah. What a great news. One has to fear Allah alone. This is a good eye opener for those so called Dictator Monster president Jammeh’s puppet so called Supreme Islamic Council members who have gut to please Dictator Monster Jammeh than Almighty ALLAH who own their souls. I have been following Imam Bakawsu Fofana’s preaching since he went to exiled in Taslima. Any sensible humans listening to his preaching, you will know that he has Quran knowledge and he is never scared to tell the truth. So people said Imam Bakawsu is instigating problem by calling on other tribe to stop this and that; but we have to understand that there are so many preachers who call certain tribe to stop tapping wine and then come to Allah’s service. Typically example for that is late Sheikh Omar Bun Jeng…he calls on Manjago tribe to live tapping palm wine and come to Allah’s service. I personally don’t think there is nothing wrong to advice or reach out to tribe, groups or individual to leave bad thing and do good particularly when it has something to do with Allah. Long live, good health and prosperity to Imam Bakawsu Fofana and all the truthful fearless preachers of Islam.
Mohammed Lamin Touray and imam Fatty are the enemy no1 for ustaz B kawsu Fofana all about the power and money from Islamic Council = politic ,,,,,, shame
Alhamdu Li Laah.
Alhammudullahir! May Allah guide and bless you, your students and make the village the most successful one. Ameen!
O you who believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.
Chapter 3-Ali ‘Imran. verse 200..
I don’t like this. I think Bakawsu’s preoccupation should have been how to fight for his return to his country rather than creating a permanent home in exile. This is going to be much to jammeh’s delight.
I have a lot of respect for Bakawsu but I am sorry, I don’t agree with this decision because it means Gambia is now permanently deprived.
Sad!!
Manju, I don’t regard your comment here as disrespecting Bakausu. It’s the way you see things, not too bad! I don’t know if you are the true Tourays Manding Mouries, if yes, the Lord of Universe [Allah] has stated in His Holy Qur’an that, His earth is immense [ BIG], if anyone of us being opressed on any location on earth, we can move to the other part of the earth, and I think that’s why many of you are living in the West today, and some of us will be sent home in our coffins [dead]! Bakausu is not different!
I totally disagree with you Lafia. Remember that Prophet Muhammed and his followers sought sanctuary in Medina where they entrenched Islam before returning to Mecca at an appropriate time. Everything happens for a reason. I believe that Ba-Kawsu is doing the right thing. He is spreading the word of Allah as well as teaching children. What’s more noble than that? What’s wrong with doing that in Gambia when the enemy of everything good, religion being no exception, is not giving you the space?
Lafia still does not seem to understand how Yaya Jammeh operates. He can agree Bakawsu to come back but at his terms. That means preach or do what I want. What then is the essence of fighting for something that is not worth anything? Congrats to Bakawsu and family.
Baboucarr Samba, I am not asking Bakawsu to accept anything from Jammeh- why should he?? I am saying he should see himself as a victim of a struggle who will one day return to his country. Establishing a village in a foreign land means even if jammeh is removed, Gambia has lost Bakawsu for he will no longer be permanently resident in Gambia. I don’t like that for it is a lost to Gambia and victory to Jammeh. Bullies needs to be stood up to albeit wisely.
Thanks
Olimatou Sarr, the Prophet’s sojourn in Medina was only temporal. He did return to Mecca finally. Maybe the scholars can clarify this but I am speaking from a nationalist point of view rather than from a scripture.
Thanks
I don’t think olimatou have read my piece carefully.
May Allah’s guidance be continually upon him. May Allah protect him from all force evil within mankind. All praises be on to Allah (swt)
Mr touray , I think you are right that Gambia has lost bakawsu if he permanently stay in Senegal and didn’t return to Gambia. Yes, you are right from nationalistic point of view though I do not engage with those who always try to bring religious perspective in our political discourse to save face . This is because we are not engage in religious fight. It is highlighted by renowned sociologist that oppressed people are very obsessed with religion that they believe their oppression is God’s creation and therefore it is only God who could change their situation . This is debatable from religious point of view and therefore they would use religion to Save face. So Nationalism should be our focus. But Bakawsu can even return if the idiotic president is out of power if he wants to. The reason why some of us in diaspora are fighting to remove dictator from power is because we love our country. Many of us have good education , decent jobs , flashy American cars and beautiful homes where we can sit comfortably and enjoy with our wives or girlfriends or even our dogs for rest of our lives . Like our December statehouse attackers who are the most selfless and patriotic Gambians , left their comfort homes and every thing that majority Gambians will never have , went and sacrificed their lives for the love of the country . Duty , honor and love for country is the testament of their characters. Those religious fanatics should understand that various scriptures emphasized these characters in their various beliefs systems but they will never talk about it. Bakawsu has this character in him and that is why he sacrificed to speak up against the dictatorial regime in The Gambia . I also admire Baba Leigh in the same way for his stand against dictatorship .
Lafia, relax, even if the Senegalese Government gave the whole Cassamance Region to Bakausu fofana, his home is Jarra Sankwia village.Above all, Cassamance and the Gambia were the same before the Europeans came and divided us. Let you, me and the other Gambians go after Yaya Jammeh as soon as possible, and get rid of him; Bakausu may return voluntarily if that was your concern. The Gambia has enough scholars, and Bakausu is one out of the thousands. Personally, I believe he has made a very smart decision to immigrate to Cassamance until you, me and those online soldiers remove Yaya Jammeh out of the state house. Does that make sense? It’s just an opinion!
Of course the decision to emigrate to cassamance is smart and i am not faulting that in anyway or form. I just don’t want him to make Cassamance his home for good, Yankuba.
Well noted Lafia, and thank you for your patience.
Gambia’s fight is not at all a religious fight but, the fact that its population belongs to faiths, and that is the same population that the politicians try to deal with and as such it shouldn’t be a surprise to me when an Imam or bishop, Mosque or church respectively, have their opinion in our political and constitutional discourse. Religious isssues are as important as the economy and the education sector or tourism, hence they both affect the ordinary people’s livelihood at the end of the day.