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Date: | Fri, 2 Feb 2001 14:08:53 -0000 |
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Juwara on shariah
Meanwhile, at a separate press briefing in his Brikama
residence
yesterday, the UDP propaganda secretary renewed his attack
on
the introduction of Islamic law in The Gambia. Mr Lamin Waa
Juwara said the religious leaders "hyper-ventilating" in
their
advocacy for the introduction of shariah, should rather
debate the
rejection by government of all the recommendations made by
the
commission into the events of April 10, 11.
De facto shariah
Mr Juwara said the inclination towards the introduction of
shariah
"was manifested since the military takeover in 1994 when
Yahya
Jammeh built a mosque in State House at the expense of the
state
even though The Gambia is a secular state. That mosque was
built
for a political purpose because President Jammeh was trying
to
portray himself as a good Muslim, so that, he can sell his
image to
the majority of Gambians who are Muslims."
The pulpit of State House mosque, he claimed, "is being
used to
castigate opponents of Jammeh... The State House imam,
Alhaji
Abdoulie Fatty, is on record for praying evil for the
opponents of
Jammeh in Mecca." Mr Juwara accused the Supreme Islamic
Council (SIC) of "transforming itself into an organ of the
ruling
party.
Some prominent members of the council before the 1996
election,
were engaged in distributing cola-nuts to sell Jammeh's
candidature to the Gambian people. It was not in accord for
the
leadership of the SIC to attend political rallies of APRC.
When
Jammeh floated the idea of introducing shariah, religious
leaders
continue to debate the issue despite the denial by the
State House
spokeswoman. It was the same scenario in pre-election 1996
when
Jammeh described politics as dirty, and said he would not
contest.
The same people behind the scenario including headchiefs
were
used to prevail on him to stand as a presidential
candidate.
This is the reason why I personally took up the issue with
these
so-called religious leaders who are engaged in trying to
use Islam
for political purposes. They want to use the religious
sentiment of
the people and mobilise them to prevail on Jammeh as if
they are
speaking for the majority of Muslims in The Gambia to
declare
shariah and entrench this dictatorship as the sole leader
of this
country." Juwara said a "Jamahiriyya system will not work
here."
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