The President with basketball full of rhetoric surprises is once again grabbing national and international headlines. Of all his dialogue with the people tours, this year’s will be remembered for the insults, vulgar language, banning of female circumcission and threats on the opposition. No one – not even leaders in Senegal, Imams, traditional leaders and Gambian women – were spared the wrath of President Yahya Jammeh’s loose tongue.
President Jammeh is like a mad dog that is good at barking and biting, and nothing else. So it was not a surprise when he declared “The Gambia an Islamic state” at a Brufut rally on Thursday. His declaration was preceded by Jammeh’s belaboured rhetoric that “The Gambia’s destiny is in the hands of the Almighty Allah. As from today, Gambia is an Islamic state. We will be an Islamic state that will respect the rights of the citizens.”
The dictator, who enjoys issuing declarations without consulting other arms of the government or minding about the resulting ramifications, says his latest move is another step to distance The Gambia from its colonial past. Jammeh cited similar reason to singlehandedly pull the country out of the Commonwealth in October 2013.
He says “as Muslims are the majority in the country, The Gambia cannot afford to continue the colonial legacy.” The President therefore proclaims The Gambia an Islamic state, in line with its religious identity and values.
The Gambia has been a secular state since it attained independence from Great Britain in 1965, despite having 95 percent Muslim population. President Jammeh’s declaration will send shocking wave among the minority Christian population, although he tries to calm down fears that there will not be the Saudi type Islamic police [Mukabarat] to enforce strict rules.
The hypocrisy in Mr. Jammeh’s Brufut declaration is evident when he says “it is no one’s business to tell girls what to put on.” Perhaps the President is defending his teenage daughter and wife who both wear pants. Was he not the same leader who mocked and insulted Gambian women for wearing skinny pants, which according to him, make them infertile.
Jammeh enters the Brufut rally, amid musical fanfare only to make such a declaration moments later. He is simply manifesting mockery of Islam.
What more choice does President Jammeh have other than trying to woo the Arab world to extort money from them when his government’s major donor [European Union] withheld aid money over poor human rights record?
Ends
There is nothing new in his false claim and hypocrisy to use Islam to win the support of majority of population who only think that jammeh’s stand on Islam is justification to support him . Few years ago , jammeh has promised to introduce Islamic law ( sharia ) in The Gambia because he declared that The Gambia is a Muslim country and Muslims should live their lives according to the teaching of Islam. It is therefore important to note that smart and intelligent Gambians are well aware of jammeh’s rhetoric of using Islam to gain support . It has always been the method he used to gain financial and political support . Looking at his long list of Arab names he attached to himself , jammeh succeeded to convince the world that he is a Muslim despite the fact that he is a pagan who did not belong to Islam . Jammeh went further to use state resources to call for monthly quranic recitations at statehouse and kanillia during which he raped so many young innocent Gambian girls . His quranic recitation competition is also done in similar manner to convince unsuspecting population that he is true Muslim . Jammeh in all his public appearances he always want to make sure that he used Islam to his advantage to gain support . His dressing in traditional Islam clothes and carrying of so called Quran and prayer beads are indication of his hypocrisy to use Islam to entrench himself in power . Though he knew the so called Quran he carry is just an empty box which he made to look like Quran and it is made of cardboard . Jammeh’s presidency is simply based on deception , lies , propaganda , dishonesty , cruelty , hypocrisy and personal mystification. He is able to succeed because many Gambians did not ask relevant question , ” who is Yaya jammeh in the first place ?” And they tends to believe his lies and deception in face value. Even the so called journalists are victims of this lack of curiousity mind because they only believe in what they know or think of and any other information which is not in their usual belief system is unlikely to happen . Gambian people should understand that our dictator is capable of doing anything under the planet to stay in power and get what he wants for his selfish personal interest . There are many atrocities , crimes committed by jammeh himself which are beyond the imagination of ordinary Gambians and some of these crimes cannot be revealed by the victims because no one , not even the so called journalists would believe the victims and these crimes will only come to light when the idiotic and evil dictator Is out of power . Jammeh has already made his plan and he has been working and succeeding on his plan . Until we use our brains to connect the dots , he will continue to fool , deceive and hypocritically use Islam to gain support .
Having turn the Gambia into a Jammeh kingdom, then into narcotic state, then a failed state, now is the time to turn it into criminal state by inviting ISIS to come start new operations from the Gambia. Remember ISIS is a rich organization that has oil to sell in the black market.
One thing is for sure Yaya will not live to witness a new and democratic Gambia in 2016. He is sick, his parents hate him, his Casamance ex-friends turned their backs on him, his presidential peers do not talk to him anymore and his marabouts and jalangs abandon him.
Jammeh knows his is finish and all he is trying now is to create chaos before leaving. Little did Jammeh know that he is alone in his evil plans.
I don’t see how changing the country from a Secular Republic, into an Islamic State, can be effected by Jammeh (and his rubber stamp parliament), given that a Referandum is required to effect such a change…It will be interesting to see what they do next..
There is also no doubt that Jammeh does not understand Islam and if he does have advisers on Islamic matters, then their understanding of the concept of an Islamic State must be questioned, if this is their idea.
An Islamic State, if built on the teachings of the Qur’an and the authentic practices of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and his immediate successors (4 caliphs RA), is effectively a SECULAR STATE, where FREEDOM OF WORSHIP is guaranteed and where religious minorities and their places of worship, are also protected and respected..There is no need to insert the word ” ISLAMIC” in a country’s name for her Muslim population to practice their religion….
And there is certainly no need to create confusion in the minds of the people with a phenomenon that is not properly understood, has not been properly explained to the population, especially the non Muslims, and is often viewed negatively around the world, given our knowledge of the political realialties of citizens of so called Islamic States, and the experience of immigrants in those countries, especially people of dark skin colour, even if they are Muslims…
The government, if it is serious about encouraging Muslims to practice their religion, only needs to provide the necessary conditions for well informed and unhindered religious practice to be possible and today, it has been shown that secular democracies and constitutions provide the best guarantee for this possibility..
Jammeh should adhere to our constitution because it has laid the foundation for freedom of worship, as laid down by Allah (SWT) and taught by the Holy Prophet (SAW)..
I do not completely disagree with the views that this move might have been motivated by possible financial gains from the Arab countries, because money cannot be completely ruled out where Yaya Jammeh is concerned..
However, I have a feeling that there may be a more sinister motivation than money. We all remember his cynical moves for kingship, using some individuals to sound the “minds” of the nation, which received very little enthusiasm, even from his own camp, thus nipping that in the bud..
My feeling is that he is at it again, only this time, through the religious route, because the format of existing Islamic States is basically a monarchy, where either the King or Amir becomes ruler, and succession is through blood line, exactly the kind of ambition Jammeh harbours..Just a feeling.
What ever the reasons, one thing is crystal clear : Yaya Jammeh has never abandoned his ambition to be a lifelong president, ruler or head of The Gambia and will NEVER do so….
And if the reports we are receiving about the political situation and the resurgence of opposition politics, especially the UDP, are anything to go by, then perhaps, for the first time since 1996, Jammeh has realised that he can lose the elections…
This could be his first step towards stifling that process but it could ironically, also be the catalyst that speeds up his downfall.. Let’s watch and see what they do next because that will be crucial..
Warning Gambians, we have a mad man as president of the country. Please let us take the issue of our country seriously because I am seeing a dangerous road ahead. He is trying very hard to divide, control and isolate the country. This is why it is important we all leave aside our ideological and religious differences and focus on removing this lunatic dictator from our mist. The urgency is now not after the country is totally destroyed.