In this smartphone generation, it’s too easy for digital content to go viral. Clearly, smartphone polices the society way more than the police. It’s second to none when it comes exposing people. The Gambia Senior Secondary School girl too has tasted the wrath of a smartphone. Perhaps, she never knew her dirty dance would cause firestorm on the social media, let alone subject her family to public ridiculing. The unnamed teen girl and a boy unashamedly acted like porn stars during a music party at Muslim Senior Secondary School in Banjul a month ago. No one raised an eyebrow until the inappropriate video got leaked on social media. The issue became an immense public concern, with parents fearing depletion of morality in a country where an ousted dictator encouraged and entrenched immorality. Like the devil, Yahya Jammeh was happy whenever immorality became rampant and conquered – typical of any idol worshipper. Was he not the same former president who damned religious leaders for preaching against the use of condom at the 2001 national youth festival in Basse? His excuse was that condom use would ensure a healthy younger generation. As a matter of fact, the teen girl and boy are the fruits of Jammeh’s moral bankruptcy labour.
Opinions have been mixed about what most people consider as “disrespectful and abominable act that must not be condoned in the country.” Blame has been apportioned on the girl, her parents and the school. Some went to the extent of even cursing out the girl’s parents who, like most people, could be clueless.
But one renowned religious leader dealt with the issue in a totally different approach. Imam Momodou Ceesay, the Chief Resident Imam of Detroit’s Islamic Center, released an audio emphasising the importance of knowledge and religion which, according to him, must be backed by good upbringing and positive cultural values. Otherwise ones knowledge becomes less essential.
“Allah honoured Adama by educating him, which was why he (Adama) excelled over angels during a test. It’s therefore incumbent on human beings to seek knowledge to attain honour. We must not only seek knowledge, we have to equip our schools with guidance and counseling centers where the girl and boy who dirty danced can be supported,” Imam Ceesay, the anchor of Kairo Radio’s weekly Islamic program, said.
Imam Ceesay advised people to support the girl’s traumatised family instead of cursing them out. “No parent will be proud of seeing your child in such an ugly state. I am appealing to the girl’s school principal to settle for suspension because an expulsion will not benefit the society. It will only reduce the young girl to a social liability. For us to guarantee a proud and promising generations, we have to inculcate the teaching of religion and positive cultural values in our schools. We are in the era of social media that exposes our children to every kind of junk. We have to be very protective of our way of life,” Imam Ceesay added, exhorting the Barrow government to work with religious and traditional leaders to help mould our children.
We concur with Imam Ceesay that people should go beyond apportioning blame. He is also right that the teen girl must not be expelled for an act that has already left its mark on her family. Let’s join hands and support with advice, guidance and prayers. The trauma of one family must not under any circumstances be fueled by any Gambian.
Ends
The Gambia society is evolving with the whole world, it is time for our government, and religious groups, to supervise the national media, and the school system. We know the Gambia is claiming to be a secular state but we need to know how far. If the Gambian people want to leave a life like the west then it’s time for us to accept and declare our failure, to our self, the world, and our next generation. We have proven what have been internationally declared that we are going to school without education.
The present government need to re chek our educational policies and how are hey implemented, and reduce the promotion of poor planned festival. The Gambia is a country that always like to copy any thing that comes from the west specially interns of music, electronics, and drugs.
Excellent job Kairo News and Imam Ceesay. We don’t need only condemnations but solutions as well.
How many Sabarr and other types of lewd roadblock dance has the girl seen before since …. Are there any other types of dance dirtier, or is it because those are cultural ones? If the latter is true, then isn’t it culture she brought right to the school grounds?
To be passive with the younger generation going astray would be the devil’s advice but sentencing the school girl and companions future to death, because they dirty danced, is not the proportionate approach for these badly behaved school children. What would sending her off from school mean? To be the future’s dirty dance queen? God forbid letting such art taking off in the Gambia. The newfound democracy proves to be facing a lot of challenges and vulnerable to a lot of setbacks and abuses. There is a need to face each and every challenge of the new political dispensation wisely.
You are telling LIES. President Jammeh banned gay and lesbian marriages, homosexuality and lesbianism, the most inmoral human behaviours on earth. He said it loud and clear which gained him the Western authorities’ wrath and hatred. He couldn’t stop pornography, promiscuity and sexual misconduct.
Your Barrow administration has NOT made any ruling on HOMOSEXUALITY and LESBIANISM, instead he said it’s not a Gambian problem, just to appease the Western powers for their grants, loans and aids. These vices are on the RISE around the tourist areas.
What do you say about that?