Interview with GAMCOTRAP Director Dr. Isatou Touray
The Gambia President Yahya Jammeh unofficially declared a ban on the degrading and harmful practice of Female Genital Cutting commonly referred to as FGC in the small West African State of the Gambia. The President made this pronouncement during a political rally in his native village of Kanilai. The news was quickly reported by his information minister Sheriff Bojang who posted the message as breaking news on his social media face book page saying “His Excellency, the President of The Gambia, Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh, Babili Mansa, has declared in the last few minutes that FGM or female circumcision has been banned in The Gambia with immediate effect!!! Mr. Bojang did not give any more details on how and when the ban on this horrible inhumane practice will end.
The news went viral as opponents of this FGC welcome the news and hope that this is the end of the practice in Gambia. Some skeptics who knows the Gambian president for his wild pronouncements that sometimes comes out of both sides of his mouth were quick to add that it wasn’t enough to declare the practice banned without enacting a law through parliament. Many observed that the Gambian President is fond of making pronouncements without thinking about the consequences of his words essentially confusing between what he President Jammeh wants and what is the law of the land. Some pundits were quick to raise the alarm that President Jammeh was out to distract opponents from the real issues confronting him and his government.
However an issue as serious as FGC which has harmed and ruined the lives of millions of young girls and women across Africa cannot and must not be treated loosely. What immediately came to Gainako’s mind was to go back and look at President Jammeh’s past position on the issue and the kinds of statements he has made on this issues. It was observed that for 21 years since he came to power President Jammeh has sternly supported the practice of female genital cutting. In January 1999 during the opening ceremony of a major Mosque in Bundung and in addressing the issue of FGC President Jammeh said “Muslims should be aware of the enemies of Islam. Some scholars are paid money and they start misinterpreting the hadith over the television in order to justify their claims.” The Qur’an he said was more powerful than the hadith “because it is unchangeable.”
In another situation the President openly said “his government will not ban the practice of FGM” He made this statement during an Eid meeting with Muslim Elders in Banjul. While speaking to Muslim elders the President “alleged that campaigners against the practice are receiving millions to undermine Islam and the African culture”.
In another comprehensive status report on FGM/FGC in Gambia issued by the U.S State Department in 1999, the report quoted as “President Jammeh announced that The Gambia would not ban these practices. He also stated that FGM/FGC was part of Gambian culture. Several members of the National Assembly and the Supreme Islamic Council have publicly supported continuation of FGM/FGC. The Vice President, on the other hand, has voiced support for reform” the report continued. The report concluded that there was no law in the Gambia at the time to ban the practice. It highlighted that this was probably the only issue the Vice President disagreed with the President where she called for reform of the practice.
President Jammeh’s position on FGM/FGC has been pretty consistent and clear on the issue of FGM. In fact, many believed that this issue which is a central campaign theme for GAMCOTRAP a non profit organization in the Gambia is what led to the Gambia President’s personal issues with members of GAMCOTRAP including Imam Baba Leigh, Dr. Isatou Touray and Amie – Bojang Sissoho. Due to the effective campaigns of this organization the President allegedly went after Imam Leigh and ended up ordering his arrest and detention incommunicado for six months. He also orchestrated the arrest and prosecution of GAMCOTRAP duo for alleged embezzlement of funds which was later proven to be false. Both accused were acquitted and discharged but not before the case attracted wide spread media attention around the world.
In effect President Jammeh’s casual pronouncement of banning of this very harmful practice confused between culture and religion may be a step in the right direction. However, many are wondering why all of a sudden the change of mind by President Jammeh to declare that the practice would be banned. It is a welcome gesture in many quarters regardless but some stern opponents against the practice are going further to call for the country’s Parliament to pass a law to make this practice illegal. Others are suggesting that for the President to be taken seriously he must not only instruct parliament to pass a law but also provide an enforcement mechanism that will ensure that the practice is completely wiped out throughout the country including the remotest of villages in the country. The news is certainly a welcome gesture and opponents must continue to push for a legislation to ensure effective elimination of this inhumane degrading and harmful practice against young girls and women. If the President ensures that this is completely wiped out then history will credit him for presiding over the banning of such practice.