By: Binta Jaiteh
Baba F Trawally, the Amir of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jammat, has buttressed the need for religious tolerance and maintenance of peace among neighbours of every society.
He was speaking on Friday at Nusrat Senior Secondary School during the 47th annual Jalsa Salana of the Jamaat held in Bundung. The three days annual convergence brought together top government officials and dignitaries from across the globe.
“The Gambia is a land of peace, a land of harmony, a land of tranquillity, where people of different faiths live side by side. We should all be tolerant, respect each other and live in peace and harmony with our neighbours no matter with their religion or faith,” he emphasized.
Amir Trawally notes that Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat believes in the oneness of Allah Almighty and recognizes all His attributes, saying Ahmadiyaa is not outside of Islam and that the divine Jamaat is not a new religion.
“It is our brotherhood and our peaceful nature as a country that makes us the envy of the world,” he said. “For this reason, be it religious leaders, political leaders, the government or elders in the society, we should always preach the message of peace and try to unify people in our congregation and society.” He urged people not to preach or say things that will bring about division and conflict within us or hatred in our communities and society.”
He elaborated that without peace there could be no progress and without peace, people could not even worship Allah, the Almighty properly. He therefore urged all to be ambassadors of peace in the societies.
“As we gather here, let us reflect on the objectives, purpose and blessings of this gathering. This Jalsa Salana is not a mere worldly gathering, instead this Jalsa Salana which is held all over the world has a very divine and unique purpose.” According to him, the primary purpose of the convention is to enable every sincere individual to personally experience religious benefits.
He went on to say that it was essential for all those who could afford to undertake the journey that they must go to attend the convention which embodied many blessed objectives.
For his part, The Vice President Muhammed BS.Jallow commended the Jammaat for its continuous collaboration and contributions to national development of the Gambia. While thanking the Jammat for the support, he called for future collaboration with the government.
