Pursue Inter-denominational Dialogue to Promote Harmony and Tolerance of Diversity

The Gambia is a Secular Republic. The Government should respect, guarantee and protect freedom of belief and the freedom to exercise religious practices. This is the dictate of the Republican Constitution.
Section 25 subsection 1 b) states that: “Every person shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and belief which shall include academic freedom”
Subsection 1 c) adds that every person shall have the “Freedom to practice any religion and to manifest such practice”
Section 32 further states that “every person shall be entitled to enjoy, practice, maintain and promote any culture, language, tradition or religion subject to the terms of this Constitution and to the condition that the rights protected by this Section do not impinge on the rights and freedoms of others or the national interest, especially unity’’

In fact, the Directive principle of state policy which should guide the conduct of the executive has stated in Section 212 of the Constitution that “All the people of The Gambia shall be entitled to their ethnic, religious, and cultural values which do not disturb the unity or cohesion of the state”
Different religions, cultures and sects or denominations have co-existed in peace in the Gambia. Since time immemorial it has been common for different Imams to lead prayers on different days regarding the Commemoration of Eid Ul Fitr or Eid Ul Adha. This has never disturbed national harmony or unity. Matters of harmonising religious practices should be done through inter-denominational dialogue and consultation. None should use the might of the State to impose religious practices on others.

The controversy regarding the days Muslims should commemorate Eid UL Fitr and Eid UL Adha began during the President’s meeting with the Muslim elders in Banjul after the Koriteh prayers. The issue of Imams praying at different times during the commemoration of the two feasts was raised. The President expressed his surprise that the President of the supreme Islamic Council had mentioned the names of people in the Gambia who had conveyed to them that they had seen the moon before declaring the end of fasting and the day for the commemoration. He proposed that the Supreme Islamic Council should have taken a position that any day Mecca prays the Gambia will pray.

Apparently, the Supreme Islamic Council has done precisely what has been recommended. It declared the prayers to be on Friday. A number of communities have decided not to pray on Friday, including communities in Senegal.
The Government and the Supreme Islamic Council should take note that some scholars have conveyed to Foroyaa that there is no religious injunction which states that all Muslims should imitate what is done in Mecca. Some scholars have argued that the responsibility of sighting the moon falls in the hands of all Muslims, regardless of their place of residence. They argue that Muslims in Mecca may also benefit from the sighting of the moon by their neighbours, just as others could benefit from the sighting of the moon in Mecca. They claim that Muslims in other countries would be failing in their responsibility if they relied entirely on the Muslims in Mecca. They are of the view that each community has responsibility to keep track of the moon and to inform each other, in particular, and its neighbours, in general, of its findings. It is left for each to determine which findings could be of persuasive influence.

Foroyaa is taking up the issue because of its corporate responsibility to promote dialogue on religious matters and expose any excess in the exercise of authority by the Government. We hope the Supreme Islamic Council would free itself from all government influences and begin inter-denominational dialogue with the view to facilitate agreement on such matters. In matters of faith, dialogue and consultation is the way forward not imposition and coercion.