The Imam of Detroit Islamic Center has called on Gambians to honour and celebrate all those who demonstrate their love and interest for their country that found itself embroiled in political crisis.
“Our home country, the Gambia, is facing extra-ordinary situation, which requires extra-ordinary solution,” Imam Momodou Ceesay told Kairo News. “During this period we should double up our prayers for peace and tranquility to remain in our country. Apart from prayers, the country is counting on all those who play pivotal roles. I appreciate the efforts of all Gambians. I wish I can call all of them by name. But one person who stands out among the lot is the Gambia’s Ambassador to the United States, Sheikh Omar Faye. I am not surprised that he came publicly to tell truth to President Yahya Jammeh to accept defeat, step down and hand over power to President-elect Adama Barrow. No one in their right sense will blame Ambassador Faye for doing what Islam requires us to do: tell and defend the truth even if you will pay bitter consequences.”
Imam Ceesay knows Ambassador Faye as “a truthful, honest and God-fearing person. He is proud of his Islamic background. As an offspring of the Faye Caliphate, Sheikh Omar’s Islamic upbringing is reflected in whatever he does,” Imam Ceesay said.
Faye’s respect for religious leaders forced him to visit Imam Ceesay in Detroit. “Ambassador Faye’s humbleness touched my heart. Few years ago, he visited me as a Gambian brother seeking advice and guidance. Faye kept saying ‘I’m not here as your Ambassador but as a talibe looking for advice and guidance.’ As a Muslim leader, I return Faye’s respect and honour. I’m proud to associate with any Gambian who has the country’s interest at heart.”
Imam Ceesay said Faye should be commended for singling himself out among all of the Gambia’s diplomats. “His letter to Yahya Jammeh clearly shows that Ambassador Faye is loyal to the country and not to a greedy tyrant. This is what is called patriotism. Leaders will go and come but the Gambia remains. Faye first showed us his patriotism when he majored a career in the military. He is unlike Samsideen Sarr who chose to defend falsehood against truth. The Quran is very clear that falsehood does not last. Let other diplomats emulate Faye. They too have the choice to distance themselves from Yahya Jammeh who has flip-flopped, resulting to political impasse in the Gambia.”
Ends
It is my opinion that, whatever state of impunity in a country, it needs its diplomatic representations across the world as much as it can afford regardless of conflict of opinions on who or what enables a state of impunity. I think ambassador Faye and his counterparts of Gambian diplomats in foreign were just doing their jobs, to tell the neighbouring world; there is a place called The GAMBIA. The latter is not a notion of immunity for diplomatic missionaries who might have been conscientious accomplices in Jammeh’s atrocities against Gambians however. A midwife, a surgeon, a constructor, a security personel, a school teacher, a farmer, a carpenter, a mechanic, a welder, politician, a fisherman, a herdsman, a baker, a stall man, a tailor, a spòrtsman, a musician, an electrician, a religious cleric, an Alkalo, a Seyfo or even a jobless who might have been a willful accomplice in Jammeh’s atrocities against Gambia citizens, shouldn’t be immune to testifying before a court of rule of law; of democracy. Decisively call ambassador Faye ‘Patriot’ is not what some would want to do but he has demonstrated the right thing at the right time that any genuine statesman will do. Ambassador Sheik Omar Faye needs commendation for the wonderful steps he has taken.
I agree with Iman Ceesay that, ‘Our home country, the Gambia is facing an extra-ordinary situation that requires extra-ordinary solution’. May Allah help us all citizens of the Gambia to understand this fact.