Wait a minute, I saw a documentary in the UK about  two British muslims(one was under police surveillance in the UK) arrested and handed over to the Americans in the Gambia whiles on a Business trip. They could not arrest them in Britain on legal grounds , Blair was under fire by this time too and since African Leaders are know to have little regard for the rule of law ,it was easy for the dirty job to be done in the Gambia. The families of these young Muslims have to fight for years to get them out of illegal detention,the physical and mental torture they suffered was enormous. And here we have the President of the Gambia telling us how much the west hate the Muslims. For me this does not make any sense. It would have, if he had demanded an apology from the British and Americans for even daring to ask him if they can arrest these two innocent Muslims in his country. This speech would have been a continuation and not a confusing statement.

 

For Freedom

Saiks > Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 07:01:38 -0400> From: [log in to unmask]> Subject: Fwd: Who's Islam's Enemy -President Yahya Jammeh or The West?> To: [log in to unmask]> > A wonderful> letter to the Editor from the pages of The Gambia Echo.> > > > > > enjoy> > > > The Gambia Echo> > > > Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2007> > > > > > Who's Islam's Enemy -President Yahya Jammeh or The> West?> > > > Dear> Editor:> > > > I> am in distress about how our country is being destroyed by our own selves> through connivance, silence and other forms of collaboration, actively or> passively. For me, Yahya Jammeh is not the issue. It is how the common Gambian> man and woman have contributed and continue to contribute to the building of a> monster and a system that will eventually consume all of us for> virtually nothing. The educated and elites, the religious and elderly, the> respected and honoured, the youth and women and even the children have decided> to either dance with Yahya or keep so silent as to allow him to ride roughshod> over our lives and country with so much destruction. The mere fact that> individuals accept his appointments only for him to dump, jail and castigate> them later is all indicative of our own contribution to the creation of a> monster and his system. No doubt we are all paying a dear price for something> that never should have been in the first place. > > > > Well,> for my part I will fight as much as I can by speaking against as loud as I can;> by not cooperating; by writing to expose…; but surely I will not speak in> support neither will I act or participate in favour of Yahya Jammeh. I> will refuse the post of Vice President today if he were to appoint me. I will> consider it an insult and unpatriotic to work with Yahya Jammeh at such> decision making level.> > > > > >  So> find attached my thoughts on the recent visit by religious leaders to State> House.> > > >  Keep> up the good job.> > > >   Who is the Enemy of Islam: President Jammeh or the> West?> > > >  It> was yet another meeting between the President and religious leaders on the occasion> of Id’ul-Fitr, a traditional ceremony which has lasted for decades. Common> sense would dictate that such a forum would be an occasion for the religious> leaders to play the role of preacher and teacher of the Scriptures based on> what the Quran demands of leadership. The religious leaders are also expected> to reflect the conscience of the nation and thus speak in the name and interest> of all citizens. This means to request, demand, inquire or correct all concerns> of the people where necessary to ensure that the welfare and good of all> citizens are promoted and protected. The occasion by all standards is unique> and a golden opportunity for the religious leaders to speak to the President in> a way that not even his advisors can, because religious leaders are supposed to> speak the word of Allah. The Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet are> their weapons. This gives them unlimited immunity and protection to speak to> the President in many respects – as a citizen; as a human being, as a Muslim> and as the President of the Republic. In a nutshell, the meeting between the> President and the religious leaders is one of the most important national> events which can serve as a healing point for the nation and the consolidation> of national cohesion, peace and national unity.> > > > Going by what transpired between the Head of State and the> religious leaders, it is obvious that the point has been missed by both sides,> more so on the part of the President. In the first place, and disappointingly> enough, the religious leaders spoke more as emissaries and stalwarts of the> government and the President, than as Muslims leaders and custodians of the> Islamic Faith. Instead of addressing national concerns as demanded by Islam,> they engaged in secular propaganda on issues that they either do not understand> or decided to totally ignore. For example, the issue of the appreciation of the> dalasi and prices of commodities is beyond the purview of these leaders at this> point. The science or lack of it that is responsibility for the rising dalasi> is yet to be understood by even economists and businessmen as the currency is> appreciating without any basis on the economic reality of the country. How can> the dalasi appreciate when there is no corresponding rise in exports or> reduction in imports-there has not  been any significance increase in> production of manufactured goods; there has not been any production of> petroleum or other minerals, neither has there been any increased inflow of> foreign direct investment? Because of the absence of the above factors,> consequently there has not been any reduction of prices, but instead foreign> exchange bureaux and banks have now ceased operations in that trade because it> is unfavorable. Business people procured their goods at a certain price before> the appreciation of the Dalasi and so they cannot just abruptly reduce prices> because our currency is seen to be gaining strength. How about the Government> first reducing taxes, or fuel prices or utility costs among others before> urging the private sector to reduce prices regardless?> > > > > > What all of these factors indicate is that there is> manipulation of the currency by the Government somewhere. This is basically the> reason why the religious leaders should not have ventured into this area to the> point of giving credit to the Government for the appreciation of the dalasi, a> phenomenon so complex that is yet to be comprehended. The general issues about> morality which they have touched on are a given which have to be raised in any> forum in which such leaders partake. Religious leaders should always admonish> believers to provide good parentage; that decency should couch all ways of> talking, dressing, how we relate to each other and our general way of life.> That is a must! > > > > > > But the occasion about which we are talking here is such> that such issues of morality and decency, much as they are necessary and> important, should come secondary to major national issues which appear to> threaten the very fabric, peace and security of the nation. Essentially, I am> referring to the political and governance environment because ultimately all> other aspects of national life are contingent on the prevailing political> culture and environment. Any decent society- meaning democratic, accountable> and transparent political system which is inclusive and respects the rule of> law and human rights is not only bound to be economically viable, but also> socially stable as well as morally and politically secure. This is why the crux> of the discourse by the religious leaders should be to address the soul of the> nation which lies in the politics of the country.> > > > > > There is no doubt that the Gambian political environment> remains precarious-our governance system is poor; but more than that, it is> also dangerous and the biggest thereat to our peace, security and cohesion as a> nation. The person at the helm of the political system and from who most is> required to ensure the decency of our polity is the President. He is the Head> of State and Government which according to our Constitution derives legitimacy> from the will of the people and in whose interest and welfare, all organs of> Government exercise their functions. Thus the single most responsible person> (supposedly) for the governance and political culture of this country is the> President. This to me is where the religious leaders should have taken off> their discourse. But as observed earlier, they deviated.> > > > > > While the list of incidents that mar our political and> governance landscape are uncountable some of the more trouble remains thus:> > > > > > 1.       Currently> The Gambia> has dozens of her sons and daughters detained for long periods without charge> while in most cases their families do not even know where these detainees are> kept, much less to see them. > > > > > > 2.       People> continue to be dismissed from their jobs at all times without any basis on law> and no legitimate reasons provided. > > > > > > 3.       Journalists> and media organizations continue to be harassed and branded as “illegitimate> sons”, while the killing of Deyda Hydara and Omar Barrow remain unresolved. > > > > > > 4.       The same> applies to the shooting of lawyer Ousman Sillah. > > > > > > 5.       In 2000> several school children where shot dead by our own security personnel only for> the Government to grant them amnesty. > > > > > > 6.       The> administration of the public sector continues to be according to the whims and> caprices of the President even where national interest is jeopardized such as> the case of the sale of Gamtel and Gamcel. Much needed public enterprises are> either being destroyed such as GPTC or are being undermined to such a great length> that they have not become viable anymore. > > > > > > 7.       Fear and> frustration has come to characterize majority of the people. > > > > > > 8.       On top> of all of this, and as a consequence of the bad governance and indecent> political culture in the country, poverty continues to rise thereby giving way> to immoral social behaviors especially among our youth.> > > > > > Given their failure to address the above our religious> leaders therefore, dropped into irrelevance and even becoming accomplices in> the national mismanagement by the President and his Government. > > > > > > Yes, Alhaji Banding Drammeh made an appeal about illegal> detainees, but this was not enough. It must be clear to the Imam that those> detentions are illegal, illegitimate and un-Islamic. It is not for us to beg or> appeal to the President to pardon them because he has no right, authority or> power whatsoever to detain any Gambia.> Only the Police can do that for a limited time, or the courts according to law.> The President must be told in the face that his actions are ungodly, and that> no one owes him any allegiance or respect of any sort to appeal to him to do> the right thing. If he cannot do the right thing then he should be asked out.> There are many more Gambians willing to do the right thing.> > > > > > As for President Jammeh, he terribly missed the point.> Instead, he immediately assumed the role of the religious leaders by attempting> to preach the most irrelevant and inconsequential issues. For once, someone> needs to remind the President that he is not the representative of Muslims or> Islam more so of the people of the Middle> East. The President is not the> spokesman for Hamas or Hezbollah. The President or The Gambia is not at war> with the West which ironically still gives more help to his government and the> country than any other country and region. The President depends on Western> institutions more than any other in the world and we all know that. So all his> tirades about and against the West and how Islam is being treated is not only> irrelevant but also grossly hypocritical. For example, while the President> rightly noted that Muslims kill each other more than anyone else, he either> fails to notice or ignores the fact that his own Government has presided over> the killing of numerous Muslims as in the case of November 11 alleged coupists,> the late Sadibou Hydara, 14 students in 2000, the late Deyda Hydara and Omar> Barrow, several soldiers such as Almamo Manneh, Corporal Dumbuya, Finance> Minister Ousman Koro Ceesay and many others that Gambians are yet to know. His> government has presided over the torture and detention without trial for long> periods of uncountable Muslims and Christians in this country. What now is the> difference between the President and those other Muslims killing fellow Muslims> in other parts of the world? It is highly sacrilegious for the President to> accord himself Islamic credentials while his every action is anti-Islamic! Our> President is definitely an Enemy of Islam and Muslims!!> > > > > > If President Jammeh’s allegation that “The West and the> rest of the world are destroying Islam” then, it is obviously because of such> enemies of the Faith as the President of the Republic of The Gambia who> continue to facilitate the weakening of Islam and Muslims through sheer> exploitation and oppression of the Ummah. Has our President forgotten that his> Government is one of the few in the world that has entered into a bilateral> agreement with the United States Government on the issue of the International> Criminal Court (ICC) so that The Gambia will not take or participate in anyway> in the prosecution of any American soldier for human rights abuses before the> Court? Even when our President knows that American forces are at war against> Hamas, Hezbollah and in Iraq and against his own brother President> Ahmedinejad’s country (the Islamic Republic of Iran), he still went ahead to> protect American soldiers who continue to kill Muslims in Muslim lands? Does> this action of the President not make him a first degree accomplice and an> abominable tool of the West to destroy Islam and the Ummah? What an infidel our> President is?!!!> > > > > > In conclusion, let our President be a man of modesty, truth> and justice according to the teachings of Islamic. He may try to fool some> people sometimes, but certainly not all the people at all times. He is exposed> without realizing it. He has demonstrated that he has no conscience and sense> of patriotism for The Gambia; neither does he love Allah and His Holy Prophet> and the Ummah! He is an Infidel par excellence. An Enemy of Islam!> > > > > > The meeting between the religious leaders and the President> is a laudable occasion which all countries should emulate The Gambia for. It is> an occasion that should help in improving our democracy, justice, the rule of> law and respect for human rights if rightly conducted. It should serve as a> moment of reflection, rededication, rectification and consolidation of national> unity. Religious leaders are not elected nor on anyone’s payroll and therefore,> bear no allegiance to any one individual or institution, except Allah and His> Holy Prophet of Islam. Their Constituency is the Ummah and on whose behalf and> interest they should speak and act at all times in all circumstances. They> should speak the language of justice and truth. They are on a crusade; a jihad> and for which case they must be prepared to even go to Mile II Prisons-the> dictator’s jail, in speaking truth to power. It is sad to say that our> religious leaders have failed Allah and His Holy Prophet and the Ummah. They> have betrayed Islam and surely the Ummah which is under intense exploitation> and oppression in The Gambia. > > > > > > We will never forgive the Imam Ratib Cherno Kah, the> President of the Supreme Islam Council Alhaji Banding Drammeh and the Emir of> the Ahmadiyya Jamaat Baba Trawally and the rest of the Imams present at the> occasion for failing to speak about the soul of the nation. We will not forgive> them. Allah and the Holly Prophet (Peace be upon his name) are for us!> > > > > >  > > > > > > A Gambian Muslim,> > > > > > Office of The President, State House,> > > >  Banjul> > > >  > > > >  > > > >  > > > > ________________________________________________________________________> Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com> > ����������������������������������������������������������> To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface> at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html> > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l> To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:> [log in to unmask]> ����������������������������������������������������������

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