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Momodou
Denmark
11645 Posts |
 Posted - 14 Sep 2010 : 11:24:52
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Foroyaa Editorial : NO COMPULSION IN RELIGION
By Publisher on 13-09-10
The Gambia has never known conflict among different religious sects. Hardly could anyone tell you the difference between a Shiite and Sunni, Tijaniah and Wahabi. Christians and Muslims in this country have always co-existed in peace.
Different Gambians have given support to different religious leaders without conflict.
This year all the Muslims in the Gambia, for one reason or another, happened to pray on the same day in commemoration of EID UL FITR. At least we are yet to get any information to the contrary. This offered Gambian Muslims a good opportunity to promote unity. Focus should have been put on the subject of unity. Furthermore, since all the religious leaders agree on the authority of the Qur’an and sources of Sharia and religious standards of best practice (the Hadith), the recommendation of the Supreme Islamic Council for a major conference to discuss on the right time to fast and break fast is indeed the way forward in solving differences in opinion by resorting to the dictates of the common sources of religious knowledge.
Hence, instead of the flaring up of emotions and the issuing of threats, it would have been better to give wise counsel to those who hold different opinions by displaying openness and tolerance and thus calling for respectful exchanges on all issues of religious importance in order to inspire the onlookers that differences in opinions could be settled amicably through debate among scholars and the elders. Scholars should respect the religious traditions of the elders and the elders should recognise the increased exposure of the scholars. In this way, Knowledge would be guided by humility and virtue and as a result the cause of tolerance, mutual respect, peace and tranquility would be served and religious persecution and hostile conflict would be avoided.
We hope all religious leaders in the country who advocate for Islam would now bury the hatchet and focus on the invitation of the Supreme Islamic Council to this grand debate to which religious leaders from other jurisdictions would be invited so that clarity would be thrown to what is currently being debated in a heated manner.
We hope that maximum tolerance will be displayed at such conference. Let us also hope that from now on all religious differences would be handled this way.
Source: Foroyaa Online
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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