Lamin Manneh, Executive Member of the United Democratic Party
By Fatou Sillah
Dr. Lamin Manneh, a prominent executive member of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has voiced his disappointment over President Adama Barrow’s recent remarks on religious affairs. Speaking in an interview with Kerr Fatou, Dr. Manneh criticized the President’s comments made during a meeting with Muslim elders and community leaders at the State House in Banjul on the occasion of Eid.
Dr. Manneh said he was disheartened, though not surprised, by the President’s remarks.
“Disappointment but also not surprised, because each time it happens is the same reaction we get, any time he gets those elders from Banjul and the microphones are there he loses control. Last time he attacks Madi Jobarteh. Anytime those people go there he says something that will make the entire country disappointed,” Manneh said.
According to Dr. Manneh, the visit by the imams and elders was intended to offer Eid greetings and foster national unity, but the President instead used the platform to make divisive statements.
“The Imams and Banjul elders went there to convey their Eid greetings, you are the country’s leader you should say something that will give people hope and brought people together but instead of that you started attacking people,” He Said.
Referring to President Barrow’s assertion that some countries write sermons for imams — and that deviating from those scripts can lead to issues — Dr. Manneh pointed to Tunisia as a cautionary example.
“To certain extends, Tunisia use to do that, they have a shot of religious affairs to write sermons for Imams and they pronounce it. But what that brought in Tunisia was people stop going to the mosques or they wait when the sermons are about to over they go. I was in Tunisia for 9 years when Africa development Bank transferred there. People later rebel against the government because people were tired so it makes people tough and they stood against the government. that in the end resulted to the revolution in Tunisia,” He Said.
Dr. Manneh warned that similar policies in The Gambia could have comparable consequences.
“So when they want to bring that here what happened in Tunisia can also happen here and no one prays for that so they should leave our religion alone and religion leaders,” He Said.
He further cited the example of former President Yahya Jammeh, who faced backlash for persecuting religious leaders.
“Yahya Jammeh started here arresting Imams, torturing them but how did that end, he is now in Equatorial Guinea and he is unable to go anywhere. Leave our religion and our religious leaders, the sermons that happened in Juma’s should discuss social issues and what are happening in the country, when they don’t say that people can stop going to mosque,” He Said