>From: Luntang <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list              <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Row over Imam Kah's appointment >Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2004 17:49:35 +0200 > >Row over Imam Kah's appointment >By Lamin Dibba >Jun 16, 2004, 10:55 > > > >On Thursday, June 10, 94-year old Alhaji Abdoulie Jobe passed away after 21 years as imam ratib of Banjul. On >Sunday, June 13, Mr H O Jallow, acting secretary, issued a press release on behalf of the Committee of Banjul >Muslim Elders, announcing that Alhaji Muhammed Cherno Alieu Kah, the first deputy imam of the King Fahd >Central Mosque, had been appointed to succeed the late Imam Jobe with effect from that date, following a >meeting at the King Fahd Mosque. > >But the news of Imam Kah's appointment has not been received with the tacit approval of certain Muslim elders >in the capital. > >One of them, Imam Makumba Gaye, a senior member of the Banjul Muslim Elders' Committee, told the Daily >Observer on Monday, "We, [some of] the members [of the Muslim Elders Committee] who are the ones mandated to >select and appoint the imam ratib, were not informed about the new development and this is a big surprise to >us. We don't approve of the appointment and we are saying no to it. Not [just] anyone can appoint an imam; a >lot of things must be checked before you are appointed an imam ratib." > >Another member of the Banjul Muslim Elders Committee, Alhaji Pa Badou Faal, commented, "Our committee was >never informed about the selection of Imam Kah as imam ratib of Banjul. It is totally out of context. I warned >the people of Banjul 20 years ago [about such an eventuality]. It was the late Imam Abdoulie Jobe who selected >Imam Kah as his first deputy and Imam Kah, I know, is the candidate of the Mosque Management Committee." > >"We will petition this move and we want to draw the attention of the head of state and SoS for Religious >Affairs to this issue. This is a coup by the mosque management committee. The agenda of the meeting where Imam >Kah was appointed was about the nine million dalasi donation from Saudi Arabia to the King Fahd Mosque. How >can they turn that into selecting Imam Kah?" queried another disgruntled Muslim elder. > >Meanwhile, as we were about to go to press yesterday, the Daily Observer obtained a copy of a letter written >by Alhaji Baboucar SO Jeng, chairman of the Banjul Committee of Muslim Elders addressed to the secretary of >state for Religious Affairs. > >The letter reads: "Asalamu Alaika Warahmatulahi Wabarakatuhu. As Chairman, Banjul Muslim Elders Committee, I >write to inform you that the noise is too much about the appointment of the Imam Ratib of Banjul. As Chairman >of the Committee of Muslim Elders, I have not summoned, attended or approved any meeting purported for the >appointment of the Imam Ratib of Banjul following the demise of the late Imam Alhaji Abdoulie Jobe of blessed >memory. I have no knowledge of the meeting and appointment of anyone as Imam Ratib. I am not part of it and I >wish to inform you that any appointment made is unacceptable. > >Whenever the matter is settled properly, you will be accordingly informed in the normal way. Thank you sir, >for cooperation in all religious activities particularly in the Islamic religion." > >Some of the Muslim elders oppose Imam Kah's appointment because he was said to be a native of Medina Serign >Mass in Lower Niumi. They claim that a native of Banjul like second deputy imam Tafsir Gaye should be the >natural successor to Imam Jobe. In fact, the late imam himself openly expressed his preference for Imam Gaye >and during the later years of his sickness, delegated his imamate responsibilities to Imam Gaye. > >However, both Cherno Kah and Tafsir Gaye declined to make any public statement on the issue up to press time. > >The homes of the two men have been besieged by their respective supporters. But dignitaries among them, Mayor >Pa Sallah Jeng and former police chief, Ebou Njie, have been calling on the newly appointed Imam Kah to >express their felicitation and pledged their loyalty to him. > >Meanwhile, Imam Kah remains the imam ratib of Banjul. the mosque management committee has urged Muslims to >rally behind him. > >© Copyright 2003 by Observer Company > > > >--- >Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >Version: 6.0.703 / Virus Database: 459 - Release Date: 2004-06-10 > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~