“Over the years, Jawara has been contributing immensely towards the development of Islam in the country as it has been manifested in the countless mosques he built in the country,” President Barrow said, citing the organisation of Qur’anic competitions and helping mosques address their needs among others as examples.
“These are testament to the fact that he wants the development of Islam in the country.”
President Barrow made these remarks on Friday during the inauguration of a new mosque in Bakau. The mosque was built by Abubakary Jawara, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GACH Global and named after his late mother Ajaratou Fatou Kabba.
The opening of the mosque was graced by cabinet ministers, religious leaders, family members of the Jawara Kunda family and service chiefs among other dignitaries.
President Barrow further spoke on the importance of having a mosque in a community where people can worship Allah,
“The importance of a mosque within this community cannot be over emphasised. Now that the community has this mosque within this place, it will ensure that inhabitants of the area don’t go far away looking for mosques to pray.”
Barrow described the GACH CEO as his relative, adding: “What Jawara is doing in the country in terms of supporting the needy people is like he is following the footsteps of his parents. This was exactly what his father was known for. Jawara's father was having a big garden in the Jimara District, and he was supporting needy people through the proceeds he had from the garden. Therefore, I am happy today for the fact that he (Abubakary Jawara) is doing the same.”
For his part, Abubakary Jawara said: “My objective has always been to give back to the community and the country at large in anything that I can do. What I love so much is supporting needy people and will continue on doing that. This is what our family is known for and I will continue that legacy.”
Mosques he acknowledged play a crucial role in Islam as they serve as places of worship. “Therefore, it is important to build mosques in places where there is no mosque.
I built this mosque because it was among the wish of my late mum and that is why I named it after her.”
Essa Darboe, the president of The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council (SIC), thanked CEO Jawara for his continued support to Islamic development in the country.
“Having too many mosques in the country in itself is a blessing for The Gambia and is good for the peace and security of the country. Jawara is our friend because we have been working with him closely and he has been frequently supporting lot of initiatives that we organise.”
Imam Alhagie Essa Jawara, who led the Jumma prayers during the opening of the mosque, spoke at length on the significance of building a mosque for people to pray.
Jawara, whose Kutab (sermon) focused on the need to help Muslims and invest resources in the promotion of Islam, said: “The messenger of Allah (SAW) said, ‘when a person dies, all his deeds come to an end except three things which is: Sadaqah Jariyah (a continuous charity), or knowledge from which benefits are gained, and a righteous child who prays for him. Therefore, he (Abubakary Jawara) will continue to have reward for building this mosque.”
Jawara urged Gambians to always continue to pray for the peace and stability of the country.”
Imam Cherno Kah, the Imam Ratib of Banjul, thanked Jawara for investing his resources in promoting and teaching of Islam in the country. “I therefore, want to urge other Gambians to emulate Mr. Jawara and support the cause of Islamic development in the country.”
The minister of Lands, Regional Administration and Religious Affairs, Hamat Bah, described the GACH boss as a development oriented leader who is ready to invest his resources for nation’s building.
“Jawara loves the country and that is why he is ready and supporting the needs of people in the country. There are people in the country that have more than he (Jawara) but he is doing more than those people,” he postulated.
