Imam Baba Leigh has issued a message of solidarity and appreciation to all those people and institutions who stood firm in calling for his unconditional release. The message as produced below calls for tolerance and reconciliation despite what he call – his ordeal that made so many people worried and sleepless. He reassured all that he will remain truth to himself and to the truth. That he will never abandoned the truth and only Allah can decide his faith and what he goes through…
“Since my abduction, spanning five months and 17 days; I have caused tremendous stress to my love ones. Gambians and non-Gambians alike have been tormented psychologically because of my ordeal. I want to express my deepest and sincere sense of appreciation for your genuine concern about my life and safety.”
“To all those concerned, I want to say sorry for the trauma you have gone through for my sake and for the sake of the truth. I wish to note that my predicament is one ordained by Allah and that my faith and dedication to the truth shall remain unshakable by the grace of Allah.”
“I wish to acknowledge your efforts for the sake of my freedom. To all individuals, families, communities, institutions, and diplomatic missions within and outside of the Gambia; I want to say a big thank you for your concern. What I have gone through is inexplicable but Allah is in control and I wish to focus my attention on the future.”
“I wish to thank the Banjul Muslim Elders for their solidarity and support. I am also aware of the tremendous efforts of GAMCOTRAP and other human rights institutions. I extend appreciation to the American Embassy, The British High Commission and the European Union delegation and the International Human Rights Institutions in the Diaspora for the solidarity and support. I also wish to register appreciation to the Christian community for their support to my family and their solidarity. I extend appreciation to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat for their support in this difficult period. I also want to thank my congregation and neighbors in Kanifing for being with my family and supporting them throughout. My immediate family has also been struggling day and night and their ordeal was also my ordeal and by extension the ordeal of all truth loving people. To them I say thank you so much.”
“The media have also played a great role and supported me as well as made continuous call for my release. Foroyaa, The Point newspaper, the Voice newspaper, Daily news online, Today newspaper, RADDHO and FAMEDEV in Senegal and all media houses in the Gambia and the Diaspora including online media outlets. I appreciate the calls and articles by people and groups that have made attempts to call attention for my release.
The Gambian communities in the Diaspora have also stood by me, some have protested and some held banners while others walk in very cold situations to call for my freedom.”
“To all these people I owe you my apology for the hardship you have endured.
I wish to assure you that Baba Leigh of today is the Baba Leigh you knew yesterday, and so I wish to call for mutual respect and acceptance of one another in a world where we are supposed to be each other’s keeper. May Allah guide us all and rightly bless us in our various engagements.”