By Adama Makasuba
The Supreme Islamic Council has issued a stern warning against tribalism and tribal bigotry, describing such acts as not Islamic, every Gambians must desist and resist it.
SIC warning comes days when Gambian leader Adama Barrow urged hundreds of Imams to help preach peace and unity among Gambians.
In wordy statement, the nation’s Islamic Council called on Gambians at home and abroad “to desist from and resist divisive, hatred and the civil attitudes of belligerence and misplaced desires for vendetta between Gambians.”
“Islam in its central message for humanity and Universal brotherhood has strongly condemned and seriously warned against the harmful and destructive encouragement of tribalism and malicious agitation of tribal bigotry in society which in many instances entails and take the forms of adopting and projecting bias sentiments and demonstrating exclusive subjective tribal emotions excessively in supporting and assisting one’s tribe regardless of whether they are right or wrong.
“This reprimanded attitude is Islamically of blindly giving undue support because of tribal bonds and affinity always come at the expense of suppressing truth, right and justice and, would ultimately conflict with the divine peoples of using the criteria of piety and piousness for preference to enhance and foster human brother universally,” the statement added.
The statement also cited that “Allah [God] states in the Quran, the chapter of Chambers verse 3: O you mankind, we have created you into male and female and made you into peoples and tribes the most honourable and dignified among you is the most pious, Allah is the knower and most informed with all things.”
“The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council is calling upon all Gambians in or out of the country to desist from and resist any attempt of fomenting divisive, hatred and civil attitudes of belligerence and misplaced desires for vendetta between Gambians,” it concluded.