Reports reaching Gainako at this hour has it that an 80 year old religious Imam has been detained in Gambia since Tuesday July 29th, 2014. The Imam Sheriff Sheikh Muhidein Hydara the grand Imam of Dar Salaam Shangajor in the western region of the country was reportedly detained after he defied Presidential orders for Muslims in the country not to perform their Eid Prayers on Tuesday. He was reportedly transported from one police station to another to prevent his followers from knowing or gathering at his place of detention.
The Imam was detained with several others across the Western region of the country when disputes arose on when the country’s Muslims should end their fasting during the holy month of Ramadan and perform their Eid prayers. This dispute is quite common in the Islamic religion as many other Muslims across the world also fasted and prayed on different days.
The Gambian President Yahya Jammeh angrily ordered for the security forces and commissioners to arrest and detain anybody who decided to pray on Tuesday. He made an exception for the urban areas of the country when reports persisted that a grand Imam in Gambisara reportedly send a message that the President should prepare for his prison Cell in the country’s notorious prison because he was going to go ahead and perform the prayers. The Supreme Islamic Council appeared on National Television to say that the President has made an exception for the provinces to be allowed to perform their prayers since they may not have access to the radio or television.
In a related story, there are reports that butchers in the Kombo areas are being rounded up as we go to press for allegedly selling kilos of meat for D200 ($5 ). Readers may recalled that the Gambian President Yahya Jammeh who is heavily involved in competing with local businessmen and women has been selling meat, rice, bread, Chicken, Pharmaceutical drugs and many other products. He has a large farm of animals and often imports cheap animals from the neighboring countries such as Mauritania to sell meat to the local population. He often instructs his security personnel to sell these products during feast celebrations. Many businessmen/women have gravely complained about the unfairness and their inability to compete with the President on selling basic goods in the country. Since the President is allegedly not paying local taxes and tariffs from his imports he is able to afford to sell his products at cheaper prices than local businesses who are heavily taxed.
There are other confirmed reports of ordinary farmers being arrested in mass numbers in the Niaminas the Central Division of the country. Several women were also reportedly arrested and detained for several nights at the Jarreng Police Station in the Niamina East District for alleged dispute. These detainees were reportedly replaced by their husbands who were ordered to take the place of the women if they wanted their wives to go home and cook meals for the break of fasting in the evenings. Several men showed up to replace their wives.
To say the situation in Gambia is tense would be an understatement. Citizens across the country are being rounded up and detained across the country for no apparent reasons. Due process of the law which requires detaining citizens below 72 hours before arraigning them in a competent court of law is not being followed. The Gambian authorities are using every excuse to detain their opponents to incite fear and intimidation within the local population.
As we go to Press, the Grand Imam of Dar Salaam is being transported to meet the Supreme Islamic Council (SIC) who are reportedly behind the alleged disputes for ordering Muslims to pray on the same day. The council had complained directly to the President about Imams not following their orders. As has been the case the Islamic Council often orchestrates disputes with other religious leaders who disagrees with them only to arrange for those leaders to be paraded before the President to apologize. Imam Bakawsu Fofana, Imam Leigh were subjected to such parade before the Gambian leader. What happens to the detained Imam’s next is anybody’s guess but it is certain that an 80 year old man’s detention from one police station to another for exercising his constitutionally guaranteed religious rights could have a devastating effect on his personal health and security. It is a gross violation of the human rights of these individuals that the Gambian authorities continue to perpetuate. We will keep you posted on the status of the Imam. Stay tuned