What exactly did Mr Kama Badjie say? I was hoping that the journalist would at least quote him so as to bring 'completeness' to the story. After reading through one is left none the wiser.

Regards,

Kabir.

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Ex-PPP minister cautioned

http://www.observer.gm/artman/publish/article_375.shtml

By Malick Mboob
Dec 1, 2003, 22:07

Ecowas parliamentarian, Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay, has cautioned AEWF Kama Badjie, minister of Education in the Jawara regime not to use Islamic forums as a platform for spewing political rhetoric.

This warning came following certain statements that Mr Badjie made on Christians while addressing celebrants during the Id prayers at the King Fahd Mosque, Banjul during the Id-ul Fitr prayers.

Mrs Jahumpa-Ceesay said the statements made by Mr Badjie, a respectable Muslim elder, were "unfortunate". 
She said Mr Badjie "has no right to stand on the pulpit and talk about politics since he is a politician and not a religious man. Such places should only be used by preachers and nobody else, and in that instance, it was meant for imams and not politicians."

She said Mr Badjie's remarks could engender discord between Christians and Muslims. 
"Though he is a member of the King Fahd and Banjul elders committees, with due respect to him, he has no right to stand on that pulpit, moreso make a statement," she argued. 
"I think and I feel that if he wanted to make such a remark, the courtesy call on the President at State House would have been the appropriate venue. But because he and other mosque committee members oppose the regime, they refuse to go the courtesy calls at State House. The Muslim community has had access to Kerr Burr (State House) since colonial days. Kama Badjie, the spokesman of the committee, has the right to join elders at State House. But among the present King Fahd Mosque Committee of Banjul, only Alhaji AA Faal and Alhaji Bubacarr Jeng attend the usual courtesy calls. The rest refuse to attend," she claimed.

FJC recalled that since the time of Mama Tumani, first imam ratib of Banjul to the time of Imam Momodou Lamin Bah, no politician has ever used the pulpit to talk about politics. Why should it happen now? she queried.
Talking about Christian-Muslim relations in Banjul, FJC, herself a daughter of a prominent nationalist, pro-Muslim politician and founder of the Gambia Muslim Congress Party, said the followers of the two religions have always had peaceful co-existence.

"We are all one. For example, the late Pa Reny Blain's mother is related to the late Imam Momodou Lamin Bah's family. Mam Momodou Sillah of Banjul has Christian relatives, even my father, Ibrahim Garba Jahumpa was related to the Catholics. When father John Mayan, head of the Catholic mission died, Banjul Muslim elders attended the funeral. Deputy Imam Tafsir Gaye and Anglican bishop Solomon Tilewa Johnson are related. We are all one, indivisible under the eye of God," she preached.
Mrs Jahumpa-Ceesay warned politicians to desist from making political statements on the pulpit "since Islam is a tolerant religion". 

Mr Badjie's statements were made in response to earlier statements made by Deputy Imam Tafsir Gaye who harped on the exemplary inter-religious dialogue existing between Christians and Muslims in Banjul.

However, in earlier comments, Mr Badjie praised President Jammeh for helping with the refurbishment of the minaret at the mosque. 

© Copyright 2003 by Observer Company

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