Gambia’s Yahya Jammeh Calls For Muslim Unity

Monday, 11 February 2013 22:00

(JollofNews) – President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia has challenged Muslim leaders to stand up and unify the Islamic world.

Addressing the 12th Session of the Islamic Summit held in Cairo, Egypt, Mr Jammeh said Muslims across the world are suffering in their countries and being humiliated in the non-Muslim world due to the failures of Muslim leaders to protect and care for them as enshrined in the tenets of Islam and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

He added that although Muslim countries possess incalculable natural and human resources which if positively utilised could salvage humankind from the chronic suffering they are compelled to endure, cases of severe poverty and starvation that afflict the poor and the weak and wanton destruction of lives and property are more acute in the developing countries and the Muslim world.

Mr Jammeh said: “As I speak, the world is going through many challenges, particularly in the Islamic countries. We have all witnessed the trials and tribulations and the dramatic changes that are taking place day after day in this part of the world. We can only face these problems through sustained solidarity and cooperation. What is needed is to muster a unified strategy and objective based on the true tenets of Islam to restore the ideals and great values upon which our organisation is founded.
Yahya Jammeh is keen to be seen as a devout Muslim
“It is baffling that we continue to witness Muslims killing one another, seeing our brothers and sisters suffer, living in shelters and very deplorable conditions. Since the advent of the Iraq war, we have seen one Muslim country after the other fall into turmoil and internal strife with innocent civilians being maimed or killed, mosques being bombed and properties destroyed which is contrary to the teachings of Islam.

“During the time of jihad, the Prophet never destroyed any church or attacked any Christian in the name of Islam. Islam means total submission to the will of Allah and Allah has enjoined all Muslims to work together, support one and other and give Zakat to the poor and the needy so that even the poor would not suffer. Instead of supporting one and other Muslims are killing each other.”

Mr Jammeh noted that although the Islamic world has been blessed by Allah to be the ‘wealthiest of nation’, these endowments from Allah are sometimes being used to kill Muslims and sending women and children into refugee camps.

“The time has come for our organisation to stand up to unify the Islamic Ummah,” he said. “If we, as Muslims, are afraid of defending our religion, defending our Prophet and defending our values as Muslims, then are we truly Muslims? The supreme law and constitution of all Muslims is the Sharia law and the Holy Qur’an.

"Today we hear people who claim to be Muslims saying bad things about the supreme law prescribed for us by Allah. Anybody who claims to be a Muslim and criticises sharia cannot really be a Muslim. Do we as Muslims want to go to Allah’s heaven or we prefer to be friends of non-Muslims. Do we prefer to deviate from the right path and when we die go to hell? Allah says in the Qur'an: “Fear nobody but ME”.

If we want to go to heaven we must go by the guidelines set for us by Allah in the Holy Qur'an."

He appealed to Muslims to reconcile and be resolved to put an end to all conflicts within the Islamic world and amongst Muslims.  

“War and carnage are the works of Iblis [satan],” he said. “War and violence will never solve problems but rather worsen them. I urge all Muslims to replace confrontation, strife and violence with love, patience and dialogue. I think that it is now very clear to every Muslim and non-Muslim alike, that when we fight as Muslims against each other, those who become refugees as a consequence find it difficult to enter into non-Muslim countries as refugees.

“Therefore, we should know that if we choose to fight and destroy our countries, we should not be surprised when we find ourselves homeless or hungry. Because we should know that violence and confrontation leads to destruction, and not to development and freedom.”   
Written by PK Jarju