By Yusupha Jobe
Imam Baba Leigh has said that he has not yet forgiven any because no one has ever come to him seeking forgiveness as a perpetrator.
Baba Leigh, the mam Ratib of Kanifing Estate Baba Leigh was testifying before the Truth Reconciliations and Reparations Commission on Wednesday
“I imam Baba Leigh can forgive any person who has inflicted pain on me but as at now I have not yet forgiven anyone because no one has ever come to me seeking forgiveness.
So, any person who might cause pain on me for the past 22 years approaches me in a manner he or she suppose to do in order to seek forgiveness and take it in a right way then I can see if the person can be forgiven by me or not. But for now, I will not give any of my alleged perpetrators because no one has ever sought my forgiveness,” he said.
He warned the alleged perpetrators to appear before the truth reconciliation and reparation commission TRRC and except their atrocities meted on victims during the era of former President Yahya Jammeh whiles calling on his fellow victims to bear the situation citing moments when Imams were arrested after conducting their Friday prayer sermons.
“I am appealing my fellow victims to keep patient and bear the situation and even if we are to stop here as country is even better. Because there were moments when no one talk or criticizes the government. And even imams are arrested after performing their Friday summon. But I am also calling on the perpetrators to appear before the TRRC and accept their atrocities inflicted on victims for reconciliation,” he said.
Imam Baba Mukhtarr Leigh explained numerous human right violations that were meted out on him during the Jammeh regime.
He said the imams were invited to statehouse, where they were introduced to the council members where Mr Jammeh began his hate speeches.
“Yahya said he do not like the way the nation was being run. He said there was rampant corruption and that was one of the ways he used to deceive the imams during those days.
He said one of the reasons he staged a coup was because imams were suffering in the country and they did not have their due. He said the work that imams were doing was better than the job the governors and other high-ranking officers were doing but yet those governors where receiving higher than the Imams.”
Imam Leigh said from this moment, Mr Jammeh managed to convince him and some other religious leaders to share the message with their colleagues within the country.
“We went around and met lot many other imams on a Sunday. Many imams came there and that is the time he decided to narrate to them what he wanted to do and everyone went along with him. In the beginning, a lot of people didn’t refuse him.”
He recalled that his cordial ties with the former president did not last long as he became constantly hunted for his Islamic sermons which were against the feelings of Yahya Jammeh.
The eventual episode between Jammeh and religious leaders featured arrest, and detention of imams including Baba Leigh himself, for their religious duties in the country.