Asalamu alaikum Gambia-L

In the past few days I have seen a few people criticize the
manner and the way Gambia-L is being dictated by Dr Katim
Touray.  I made the mistake of deleting the latest one
from my PC but not from my grey matter.  What troubled me
is the series of laws that Katim, in the last few months
has seen fit to subject the rest of us to from banning
religious postings, obituaries, to this confirmation thing.

I joined the L more than a year ago and must say it has
been a great source of information and inspiration on a
diverse number of topics from the very political to the
profoundly religious.  Momodou Mbye was one of the greatest
contributors.  I went off line after sometime for personal
reasons then rejoined.  The postings are still great but
the diversity seem to have been curtailed somewhat.  Then
the latest posting about religious postings being banned
begin to dawn on me.

The information super high way has made a global village a
reality so that you can meet people on the net without
having the faintest idea how they are like in real life.  I
do not know Katim from Adam so I can only 'judge' him by
what he writes and what others write about him.  My
impression of him is that of a dictator who has very little
to criticize others for similar tendencies.  Life is
diverse and so is our individual interests.  Life on earth
is short but an important part of the human journey.  Our
most productive life is hardly more than 60y and yet our
eternal soul journeys on and will have to account for the
smallest thing we did on this earthly life one day to Allah
(SWT).

And that is why religion is the most important thing to
some of us for without it this world makes no sense at all.
It is a complete way of life and touches on all that we do
nor matter what. In a country with the staggering statistic
of >90% Muslim population I cannot see how religion can be
excluded from any 'bantaba' we have.  Nobody can however
force anybody to read what he does not want to read.  And I
presume that is what the delete button is there for.  I know
a lot of you may find religion  boring and controversial
sometimes.  some find delight in criticizing religious
scholars for lack of sincerity.  I must point out here that
one has to make the important distinction between what we
are asked to do by the Allah (SWT) through his Rasul
Muhammad (SAW)and what some us do in practice.  After all
the acquisition of knowledge of our creator was the first
commandment: "Read.  Read in the name of your Lord...."  So
don't allow others to fool you.

I must say my disappointment with Katim is nothing personal
but motivated by service to Allah and the Gambian community
in our bid to move forward from this troubled times.  If we
allow our spiritual instinct to die we can only replace one
dictator for another monster.  And the progress we all so
ardently desire will illude us.  Let us look from within
our ranks and correct our our faults before criticizing
others.  Let us learn tolerance.  It is not impossible even
the Tourays of latter days (Touray Mandikati) can!

Have a great week end.

Mansour


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Dr M Mansour Ceesay
King's College Hospital, London
[log in to unmask]

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