The more we talk about peace the more society is quarreling sometimes unnecessarily and sickening to common sense. It is hard to imagine what precipitated all this WAHALA about FGM. A practice that has been banned by the Jammeh government. Where were the advocates for its continued practice when the law came into effect. Why should we expect religion to be used as premise to govern a secular Nation. This is a question in the hands of Gambians to answer. The fundamental problem with democracy is that it is tailored to every occasion. In neighboring countries and elsewhere in Africa, its ban is in their laws but they are silent on it and that the people still continue to engage in female circumcisions. All Muslims know that Female circumcision is not a force in Islam. It is an ancient practice of the Arabs. It is a SUNNAH the practice of which was brought to
Africa by Arab migrants and settlers in the continent. This is one of the sadness of Africans grabbing foreign cultures and practices and in this instance, mistaken it to be Islam. But Western civilization that was equally imposed on Africans, could have educated them on the harmful practices of female circumcision. Now the crisis of female circumcision is again at the door steps of the government. It is hoped that wisdom will prevail over the matter. There are too many governance issues coming out of religious tensions, political acrimony, murder crisis, drugs crisis, ferry service crisis, food crisis, etc which must be ended as a matter of priority rather than holding the country back on religious conflicts. We have seen the radicalization of students in IBADU outfits instead of school uniforms in which the crisis ended up in the courts. Now again demonstrations in front of Parliament over the issue of female circumcision bill. The antagonisms between different religious sects still on. The image of the country for religious tolerance is gradually fading away. Government is therefore expected to be more proactive in containing religious extremism in the country. It must be realized that extremism breeds fundamentalism and that breeds terrorism. Let us learn lessons from the events in Northern Nigeria and in the Sahel region. There cannot be development without peace, said the President on many occasions. The Gambia Parliament as representatives of the people, should endeavor to uphold peace. It is inextricably linked with the maintenance of our democracy and good governance.
