Imam
Muhammad Lamin Touray, the president of Supreme Islamic Council (SIC) on
Wednesday 19 February 2020 testified before the TRRC, describing the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Jammat as non-Muslims.
“We
don’t have power to ban them but if we have that power, we will not allow them.
We cannot have Ahmaddise and Muslims in one umbrella, that’s impossible. One
can either be a Muslim or Ahmadiyya,” he declared.
Lead
Counsel Essa Faal, however, informed him that there is no one in the country
who has the right to ban a religious body or a sect because it’s not in the
Gambian constitution.
Asked
whether the Ahmadis can be members of SIC, Imam Touray replied: “Ahmaddis can
only be members of the council if they are ready to accept our rules and
regulations. If the laws of the country allow Ahmaddis to join the council,
then that would be sabotage to the Muslims,” he charged.
Imam
Touray further insisted that the Ahmaddis are non-Muslims and they cannot join
a Muslims’ organisation. He added that the Ahmaddise can have their own
organisation.
He
disclosed that he loves the ban on the activities of Ahmaddis as published by
The Point on Monday 14 July, 1997.
Faal
asked Imam Touray whether that is in line with the Islamic law to forcefully
convert someone to Islam or be killed. However, Touray said it is prohibited in
Islam to force or kill someone for refusing to convert into Islam.
“I
do not at any time realised or heard that the Ahmaddis were asked to be banned
with their schools and hospitals.”
Talking
about the destroyed Ahmaddiyya mosque in Sarra Ngau, Imam Touray said a mosque
that brings violence should be brought to a close. He acknowledged that they
don’t as a council have the right to impose a ban on preachers, but only to
monitor them.
Dilating
on the Shia sect, Imam Touray testified that they can easily destroy a place.
And therefore, Muslims cannot sit and watch them insult Sadina Omar.
On
the issue of banning Ba Kawsu for preaching, Imam Touray indicated that Ba
Kawsu was banned because of security reasons. He added that failure to ban Ba
Kawsu would have brought destruction to the society.
