By: Sulayman Waan
A Gambian-US based Imam Momodou Lamin Ceesay has urged Gambians to embrace peace and unity despite their religious differences to ensure that development prevail in the country.
Ceesay, Imam of Detroit Muslim Center Mosque in USA made the call at a press briefing held at his residence in Kotu on Tuesday 29th January, 2019 by saying that he is committed to contribute to the national development through supporting the needy people.
“What I observed in USA is to free the people and initiate things that will benefit the public and raise their awareness. I want to initiate this kind of things in the country. I’m not here to expose myself as I cannot invent in here [the Gambia] anything that does not exist in the country,” he said.
He also urged both Gambian scholars and academics to embrace unity and collaborate in developing the country as he said people of different religious backgrounds work together to attain sustainable development goal in the United States of America.
He then added that: “Working together in harmony is humanity and in term of nation building the [Americans] don’t know Muslims, Christians or any other religion. I want to initiate that in this country and I want to work with the Christian leaders.”
According to him, he is committed to holding dialogue with Gambian scholars for unity for the development of the country, adding that all the Islamic sects in the country and beyond are under Islam.
“Let each and every Muslim pray when the time is due but after that they can continue their works and continue praising Allah by saying ‘Subahana La ilahailah, Allahu Akbar’ has no limits. If one sees someone praying with a beat the fellow should not be surprised and when one sees someone has cut his trousers short, the person should not be surprise as well,” he said.
Imam Ceesay further expressed hope and confidence that if Gambians scholars embraced unity among themselves it will boost the country’s socio economic structures.
“In view of the fact that, when we unite many people will attend the conferences yearly. If many converge here, they can preach to one another, shopkeepers will have good markets. This is good for the nation,” urging Gambians to have the country at heart.
