The Rawdatul Majaalis has commented on the just concluded Gambia Supreme Islamic Council congress held on 9th and 10th January, 2021 saying the congress and the selection/election of the president lacked minimum requirement of transparency.
The below is a full press release as issued by the Majaalis and signed by the President, Baba Abubakar Drammeh
“The illegitimate Gambia Supreme Islamic Council went ahead with its announcement to organize its long overdue general assembly on 9-10 January 2020. It also selected/elected a new president together with members of the executive bureau.
As we had prognosticated, they proceeded with the selection/election of the president in a manner that lacked the minimum requirement of transparency and fairness. A country with a Muslim population of over one million eight hundred thousand were represented by 155 delegates only. What a farcical display of dishonesty and disregard for the spiritual sensibilities of the Muslim community of The Gambia!
The sheer composition of the executive bureau speaks volumes of the council’s unwillingness to collaborate with the representatives of the majority of Gambian Muslims i.e. the Majliskunda/Daara of the country.
Rawdatul Majaalis, being the official mouthpiece of the traditional Imams and Majliskunda/Daara of The Gambia, hereby reiterates its total rejection of the flawed process by which the Council’s new president and new executive bureau were elected and selected.
Since the Majliskunda/Daara and Imams are the founders of the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council, they are categorically stating that the process of electing the new executive bureau of the council was flawed in that it failed to involve the Majliskunda/Daara and Imams of the country. Consequently, they shall not grace or honour any event or initiative the Council conducts.
Rawdatul Majaalis, which was also founded by the Majliskunda/Daara and serves as their mouthpiece, calls on all Muslims of The Gambia, who are the bona fide stakeholders of the council, to boycott all events hosted by the latter because its selection/election process was devoid of transparency and fairness thereby stripping it off of any form of legitimacy.
Rawdatul Majaalis shall explore, on behalf of the Majliskunda/Daara and Imams, all avenues to ensure that the Gambian Muslim community is represented by a legitimate body instituted according to a legitimate and transparent process.
President of Rawdatul Majaalis
Baba Abubakar Drammeh