The
Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, The Gambia decides to issue this Press Release
following publications in the Standard, Foroyaa and The Point Newspapers
quoting the Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Inspector Foday Conta.
The
first point of concern is that PRO Conta is quoted to have said that the
problem was between TALLINGING MUSLIMS AND THE AHMADIS. This is a calculated move categorically
insinuating that Ahmadi Muslims are not Muslims or he is totally ignorant of
what Ahmadi Muslims are. This was simply
a situation where Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at had bereavement and wanted to bury
their loved one in a community Muslim graveyard in a place where the deceased
lived, worked and paid taxes for over three decades. However, a group of
Tallinding Markazi youths did not want the deceased to be buried in the
graveyard and they were backed by the Tallinding Police.
Brother
Kebba Sanneh of Tallinding Sicap, a very sincere Ahmadi Muslim, passed away in
the early hours of Saturday 4th May 2017 and was scheduled to be buried at 2pm
the same day. At around 10am on the same
day a group of young men were dispatched by the Jama’at to go to the graveyard
to dig the grave. The young men went to
the Kabila Alkalo to get the key and they did and after digging returned the
key to the same person.
Around
mid-day of the same day, the Jama’at received a telephone call from a watchman
at the residence of the deceased to say that there is a problem for he was told
by the Imam of the area that burial cannot be done in that graveyard because
the deceased Kebba was an Ahmadi.
The
Amir dispatched a team of six Jama’at elders to go to the area to investigate
what was going on. The team started at
the Kabila Imam’s residence where they met the Imam, Alhaji Bakary Ceesay, and
asked what the issue was surrounding the burial of Brother Kebba Sanneh. The Imam said he got word that Brother Kebba
should not be buried in the graveyard but does not know much so he directed the
team to the Village Alkalo, Ebou Badjie.
The
team then went to the Village Alkalo and made the same enquiry but he was found
to be sick. He referred the team to the
‘Kabila’ Alkalo, Ebrima Badjie
Upon
arrival at the Kabila Alkalo’s place, he was very receptive. When the team narrated what they have been
through the Kabila Alkalo responded that a group of young men came to him and
said that they needed a paper from him to say that this corpse should not be buried
in the cemetery. He told them that he
did not have authority to do so, let them go to his boss, the Village
Alkalo. If he, the Alkalo, writes,
appends his signature and affixes the stamp, then he will carry out the orders. According to the Kabila Alkalo they left and
never returned. He told the team that
the cemetery key was with him and whenever they are ready for the burial let
them come for the key and he will give them.
The team then left but also made it clear to the Kabila Alkalo that burial
will take place as scheduled.
When
the team left the Kabila Alkalo’s place they decided to go to the police to
seek protection from any eventuality.
When the team reached the station, there were about three ‘Markazi young
Muslims’ who were at the station for the same purpose giving their own version
of the story. The team narrated what
they were there for and the female Sargent who was there immediately responded
that the burial will have to wait let them consult their superiors for
instructions. The team asked what
instructions? There is a corpse to be buried the time is near. In the meantime
the female sergeant called one of her bosses who in turn called one of the
members of the team to tell us to wait for instructions from above. The Officer who called the team member was
O.C. Superintendent Samba Jawo who instructed that burial should not take place
until he gives orders. In the meantime
there was commotion in the station each one wanted to talk at the same time and
be heard. The team decided to leave and give report to the Amir and then proceed with the burial rites. At that point the police officers there
expressed the wish to go to the cemetery to keep peace but lamented that they
had no transport. One of the team
members used his vehicle to transport them to the cemetery. By the way the regimental numbers of the
police officers who were present and active in this discourse were: 4606, 6868,
6299 (Alieu Sarr), Buba Saho (without number) and a couple of other plain
clothes officers.
At
2pm the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at left the Ahmadiyya Muslim Hospital at
Tallinding in an envoy with the corpse to go and bury. Upon arrival at the gate of the cemetery,
there were the police men and a woman at the gate together with few of the
“Markazi” young men. The Police had
already collected the key from the Kabila Alkalo and refused to open the
gate. After the Janaza the Jama’at
headed to the gate to go in but were stopped by the police who were at the
locked gate telling us to be patient and wait for instructions. That wait took well over an hour with both
the corpse and sympathizers under the hot burning sun. As the wait got longer tempers grew hotter
and patience almost ran out. At every
point the Amir was just admonishing the Jama’at to be calm and exercise
patience. This same Tallinding Police
Station was behind the first burial issue between the Jama’at and the younger
brother of Alkalo of Tallinding in August 2015.
They have repeated it again. Is
the Tallinding Police doing the same thing to other religious sects’ dead
bodies?
The
Team Member that O.C. Jawo spoke with called the Police Commissioner of
Administration and explained the situation to him. Commissioner Admin then dispatched Officer
King Colley of the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) to come to the scene and
correct the situation. Upon King
Colley’s arrival and seeing the situation, he asked for the key, open the door
and allowed the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at carry on with burial rites in
peace. Had the Tallinding Police not
collaborated with those Markazi youths but opened the gate just when the corpse
arrived then the situation would not have reached the level it did. The
Tallinding Police created the commotion and we are holding them responsible for
it.
At
this point in time we are not welling into who is a Muslim or who is not. We have dealt with that in October/November
2014, January 2015 and September of 2015.
We are not seeking any stamp of approval from any individual or group to
confirm that we are Muslims. It is our
fundamental human rights as Muslims to bury our dead bodies in Muslim
cemeteries. It is the duty of the Police
to protect our fundamental rights instead of endangering them, and should be
neutral and impartial when intervening in situations like this
The
authorities must watch and avert extremism in this country covertly or overtly
for the peace security and stability of the country because extremism has
destroyed the fabrics of some countries.
This is why the Holy founder of Islam, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)
asked his followers to take moderate path in their actions.
We
pray to Allah Almighty to enable the entire country to cherish and enjoy
existing peace and to safeguard the fundamental rights of every citizen so that
we live in harmony. Ameen!
Wasalaam
Signed:
Alhaji
Ebrahima Mbowe
Deputy
Amir III