In the last years the city of Lleida in Spain had undergone a great deal of economic, social and cultural as well as demographic transformations. The city had become an urban area with a great variety of people from all over the world.
The history of Lleida cannot be completed without highlighting the sacrificial efforts of Imam Morro Jaiteh. An unknown person for many Lleida citizens but very well-known and appreciated by people who move in the religious sphere in the city. Imam Jaiteh is a Gambian who hailed from a small rural Central River Region village called Jarumeh Koto. With his compatriots, he left his country in search of greener pastures abroad. Destiny took him to “the Land of Ponent” in the summer if 1982. He had rebuilt his economic and religious life becoming one of the founders of the Omar mosque of “Carrer del Clavell” established by the Islamic Association of Lleida. A complicated task, especially due to the lack of knowledge many Lleida citizens had about Islam.
Imam Morro Jaiteh combined his work with dedication to the mosque of which he was the Imam since its creation in the late eighties, and for that reason it was very easy to find him walking between the “Auditorium and the Paeria Square” , very close to the place where the Muslim center of worship is located. He was always seen counting his inseparable rosary giving thanks and praise to Allah. Imam Jaiteh was a very affable and optimistic person. Those of us who knew him surely would emphasize his perennial smile and constant kindness, features that were not only fundamental but became prominent members of the Municipal Assembly of Religions since its inception in 2005. This vitality had slowly diminished after a serious illness limited Jaiteh’s religious and everyday activities. It was increasingly difficult for him to cross the street. In the end the disease had become confined until he answered to the call of His Lord on June 24, the day Muslims observe the feast of Eid-ul-Fitr. With sincerity and clean heartedness, we want to give a strong hug to the entire family of Morro: his wife Jaha, children and relatives. Everyone who knew Morro would forever remember him as a person of Great Wisdom, Humility and Piety who had never shied away from building bridges of understanding through dialogue.
Rest in peace, Imam Morro Jaiteh. You are gone but the legacy of Goodness you have inculcated in us will remain.
Ends
Rest in peace