By Lamin Kujabi
In his address to the nation on the occasion of the Islamic feast of Eid-ul Fitr, His Excellency President Adama Barrow said The Gambia is lucky that the unhealthy religious intolerance that causes unrest in many communities does not exist in the country. As such, he advised that the prevailing inter-faith solidarity be maintained, so that it is a shining model for others to emulate. He also encouraged that “this huge achievement feature in all our relationships and erase the differences that disunite us and slow down our progress”.
Many Muslims in The Gambia on Sunday March 30th joined the global Muslim ummah to celebrate the end of the Holy month of Ramadan, locally known as Koriteh. The President, his cabinet ministers and other government dignitaries graced the congregational Eid prayer at King Fahad mosque, in Banjul, led by Imam Ratib Alhaji Cherno Alieu Mass Kah
However, this address was done in the eve of the auspicious religious event. Further in his Koriteh message, and on tolerance, the President posited that like religious tolerance, we should strive to become an illustrious model of political tolerance.
“Once we attain this, all other shades of differences would give way for easy accomplishment of our goals, no matter how ambitious or farfetched they may seem. Political intolerance is a global threat to peace and stability. Let us arrest its growth instantly!”
He went on to encourage religious leaders, from all faith-based communities, to continue to work together to unite their congregations, harmonise the differences in the country, and put due emphasis on our values and commonalities to address the development challenges.
The President emphasised the need to continue our good deeds even as Ramadan ends, and for all Gambians to steadfastly continue devoting themselves to the progress of the nation.
we supplicate for safety and ful
filment of our desires; therefore, I pray that Allah accepts our prayers and fulfils our expectations.
He made reference to the Christian community who is in a similar state of devotion to prayer and worship, as they observe Lent and prepare for the feast of Easter. “I pay my respects to them and pray for their wellbeing,” he asserted.
President Barrow then turned his attention to the global realities and how they are affecting local economy.
“We live in circumstances that are strongly influenced by harsh global trends beyond our control. Although we are not fully protected against the economic crises and unrests that occasionally affect economies around world, we can always devise mitigating initiatives to survive them and emerge stronger than before,” he stated.
He went: “This is the wisdom behind the plans we develop and implement, which we must revise whenever the need arises. It is abundantly clear that all our development plans are coming through well. Nonetheless, it is equally obvious that, with the full cooperation and support of all our citizens and partners, we can do much better”.
He commended those who have contributed to the availability of the basic commodities required around the country, and appealed to the business sector to further cut down on their drive to maximise profit. “Being considerate in business is a patriotic way of not only easing living conditions but also contributing to national development,” he added.
The Gambian leader finally urged citizens to take up farming, either for subsistence, business, or recreation, pointing out that “it is only through production that we can reduce the high dependency on foreign goods that has persistently rendered us vulnerable to external market prices”.
President Barrow finally assured of his government’s commitment to maintaining security through the security services.
