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| Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, Leader of UDP |
ANM Ousainou Darboe
Secretary General and Party Leader - UDP
Fellow
Gambians, as the year comes to an end, we all look forward to celebrating the
birth of Jesus Christ. His birth represents
peace and harmony to mankind. His message
was and still is one of peace, enthronement of the truth and rejection of
injustice. The hallmark of his teaching
has defined the lives of a huge number of people in Europe, North and South America,
Africa and Asia
This year’s
Christmas is a special one. We celebrate
the birth of Christ the day after we celebrated the birth of prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) – the last messenger of Allah and the seal of the prophets. The prophet of Islam like Christ has
preached the values of peace, tolerance, justice and good neighbourliness.
For
Christians and Muslims the world over,
Christmas season is a unique one, but it is more so for us Gambians as
Muslims and Christians live together in the same household, attend the same
schools, marry into families of different faiths and take part in each others
feasts and festivities.
Fellow
Gambians, it is this special relationship that makes The Gambia a unique society whose citizens do not only
believe in the values of peace, tolerance, justice and good neighbourliness but
practice what they believe in. We have
always been an example of inter religious harmony worthy of emulation. Gambia’s religious pluralism is in eclipse
and its future uncertain. It is a
matter of regret that the President of The Gambia who took the oath to protect
and defend the Constitution of The Gambia and other laws will declare Gambia as
an Islamic state at a time when Christians of the various denominations in The
Gambia are preparing to celebrate Christmas.
The ill-considered declaration, influenced by ulterior motives could be
seen several years ago when the President that Sharia will be made applicable to every
Gambian.
The reason
for the President’s anti-religious pluralism is ostensibly to fight so called
imperialism but this is no justification for disturbing the peace and harmony
built up in our country for centuries.
This is a sinister attempt to distract the Gambian people from the real
problems that they face daily. Problems
such as the skyrocketing prices, collapsing economy, inadequate health
services, poor education standard, mass exodus of youths to Europe by the Back
Way, threats to the independence of the judiciary, and dismissal of public
servants on executive directives.
The secular
status of The Gambia is not only spelt out in the Constitution but ensconced
deeply in our way of life long before we became a Nation. It has always been live and let others
live. Pray to your God and let others
pray to their God. Christmas has never
been an affair for Christians only but for all, just as Tobaski or Banna has
never been an affair for Muslims only.
Fellow
Gambians, Christmas this year falls on a
Friday, let all Muslims therefore turn out at the mosques for Jumaah prayers
and our Christian brothers and sisters in their churches and we all prat for
One People, One Gambia united and indivisible.
Let us after offering prayers for the well being of The Gambia, go out and enjoy our traditional makalos,
kankurangs, kumpos, gessehs, hunting etc. in solidarity with our Christian
brothers and sister as has been done many generations before us. This is what we have been born into and no
pernicious religious falsehood will change that. This Christmas is a defining moment for all
Gambians.
On behalf of
the United Democratic Party and on my own behalf, I wish you all a Merry
Christmas
LONG LIVE
THE GAMBIA
LONG LIVE
GAMBIA’S RELIGIOUS HARMONY
LONG LIVE
THE UDP
UDP
Secretariat
December 24th 2014
