Baba Leigh: An Imam for the Truth



The Independent (Banjul)

INTERVIEW
June 8, 2001
Posted to the web June 8, 2001

Olufemi Jr
Banjul, the Gambia

Notwithstanding the Islamic and Christian council's avoidance, like the
plague of the infamous Indemnity Bill controversy, Imam Baba Lee pounced on
it giving credence to the student allegation carried by The Independent that
both councils are government mouth pieces. Even Imam Fatty quick and deft at
condemning, kept mute over this thorny issue. But Baba Lee, who dares speak
out revealed in this portrait that his conscience would not have been
appeased had he kept mum like all the others.

Born in the fifties, Lee attended Daara at his father's residence and night
school under Kotor Manneh and Momodou Jagne ex- commissioner of income tax
before moving to neighboring Senegal for high school education. He then
headed north to Libya where he obtained a diploma in electric engineering at
the Al-Fatah College, Misrata, and diploma and license in Islamic Arabic
studies at the Faculty of Islamic Call in the capital Tripoli.

Founder of The Gambia Muslim Youth, movement, Leigh in this issue of
Portrait harps on why he condemned the Indemnity Bill, the good of Shariah
in The Gambia and other religious issues.

could you elaborate on how you were entrusted the Imamship?

Well I was the son of an Imam. Actually I belong to a family of imams. I
attended daraa, completed the Holy Quran and repeated it. Then I was taught
Islamic jurisprudence, which is Sharia. After completion, I was sent to
Senegal where I attended the Franco Arab school where I obtained my
secondary Arabic Islamic studies in Dakar.

How long have you been Imam for the Kanifing Central Mosque?

This is my third year as Imam. Actually I was assisting my father when he
was the Imam of Serrekunda for over thirty years. When my father died and I
completed my house in Kanifing I moved. We paired hands and built the mosque
with the help of the indigenous people of Kanifing East. Upon completion, it
found me in Saudi Arabia and in my absence, I was nominated as the chief
Imam.

Jammeh sparked off the Sharia issue and you picked it up. Won't imposing it
in the Gambia tamper with the peaceful co-existence of Christians and
Muslims?

People should understand what is Sharia. When I talk, I do so as an Imam not
as an ordinary person. I know the daily lives of Muslims are bound by
Sharia. Marriage, building a mosque or even praying are all based on Sharia.
It is even startling as a Muslim to say I'm going to impose Sharia as it is
already in existence. What is amiss is the criminal code, which has never
been implemented in the country. During the colonial days that portion of
Shariah was taken over by Western law. I believe Shariah is helpful to
mankind, especially Muslims. However people are scared stiff of this
criminal code.

I'm looking at it from the Nigerian perspective, which is bloody I must say.
Isn't that frightening enough for small Gambia?

Well in the Nigerian situation the name of Shariah was used but those who
handled the implementation have to be looked at. Having the law in place is
one thing, implementing it is another. If they (the Nigerians) are God
fearing people and real Muslims, there should not be any problem. With
Shariah people point fingers at Islam. It was not brought to the world by
Islam rather, shariah is Mose's law, which was accepted and supported by
Jesus and then Islam. Shariah is for everybody be they Christians or
Muslims.

Wont imposing Shariah divide Christians and Muslims?

Well Christians and Muslims and the Gambia nation would be very difficult to
divide and I emphasise. Culturally we were born here with our Christian
brothers and relatives. Due to West African instability, there are certain
problems that should be taken care of. For instance two years back, at the
Kairaba Central mosque in one Koriteh a Church nearby with mighty
loudspeakers was really making a lot of noise until one of the attendants,
who was taking video shots of the prayers and who is not a Muslim went and
asked them to reduce the sound. It created tension. However Muslims and
Christians have lived together in peace so With our without Shariah this
peaceful co-existence will continue.

If Shariah were imposed as you wish would you want the criminal code to be
included?

As far as I am concerned only Shariah can handle the situation. Some days
back, GRTS aired shocking news of armed robberies, which was not existing
here, including the kidnapping of children.

So you believe Shariah would calm the situation?

Oh yes! Oh yes! That's what I believe and it will be positive, no doubt
about that. Nobody wants to die! Having lawyers in place to fiddle with the
law in defence of wrong doers criminality is encouraged more and more!

How could you describe your relationship with other Imams particularly Imam
Fatty?

It is nice and brotherly. We used to have certain mis-understanding but
everything has been cleared. Would you mind elaborating on that?

As you know, I'm someone who opposes FGM and believe in population policies
and family planning, which is the opposite for most of my colleagues. Also
I'm somebody committed to the fight against AIDS which my colleagues shun
openly. However some of them are seeing it as the anger of God, which is
true. But nevertheless victims should not be isolated. Still as far as I am
concerned I have no hatred against anybody particularly against Fatty.

The Islamic and Christian councils ignored the Indemnity bill saga but you
jabbed your fingers into it. Why only you?

Look, I am not under any council be it Islamic or Christian. I am under
Islamic law. I just tried to interpret the Islamic knowledge to my
congregation. My Friday sermons address the burning issues of the day and at
the time, the indemnity bill was the issue at hand and I addressed it
adequately simply because the Indemnity bill is un-Islamic, and not in line
with humanity, civilisation and democracy. Thus I came up with certain
issues and explained them. When the Prophet (PBUH) called his daughter and
said to her, "Fatima ask me what I have, I will give it to you but between
you and your God nobody can interfere". Nobody can indemnify anybody
particularly a Muslim because a Muslim believes in the day of judgement.

Why do you think the Islamic and Christian councils shied away from
responsibility?

Well that question would have been more proper to ask them.

Certainly the president must be displeased when your denunciation of a bill
he has signed?

Well the president has no right to be unhappy. He has the over all power to
decide. As Gambians also, we are not denied in any sense to give out our
opinions also particularly as Muslims. Whether he is happy or unhappy is
least important as far as the truth of the issue go. He should see our words
as helping and guiding him. This is a religious opinion, which we are ready
to live and die for. We have very strong Quranic backing and for that matter
we don't care who is angry or happy. We are trying to guide our country
toward success and that is what the president is doing or should be doing
anyway.

Are you implying the president erred when he signed the bill?

Well it will not be proper for me to say that. Maybe he knows something that
I don't know: what I'm emphasising is that anybody who supported that bill
is committing a crime. It has never helped and it is not even good for those
in authority.

But the president has the last say?

That's what I'm saying. He has the last say and had done what he wanted to
do! And it is proper

Well you will not force me to say so. See what you can call it anyway.

What type of Imam are you?

That question should have been answered by you. I'm an Imam that's all.

You're termed controversial and vocal?

You see the word controversial is still giving me problems. I once
challenged the Daily Observer over it. Those who support what is wrong are
the controversial people. As far as I'm concerned I'm a genuine Imam. I
cannot keep things in my mind when I'm not comfortable with them. I voice
them out.

In The Gambia we have a culture of seeing and keeping mute over sensitive
issue but you seemed to defy that?

Seeing and being silent when you are not satisfied is hypocrisy! There is a
saying in Arabic that the biggest sin one can commit is to know and keep
quiet. This is a sin. Those who know should enlighten those who don't know.

Are you a Muslim fanatic?

Well there is no fanaticism in Islam. You either believe or you don't

I'm looking at it with the Algerian situation in mind

The Algerian situation is politics not Islam

How would you like to be remembered?

I would like to be remembered as a patriotic Gambian and a non-partisan
religious leader.


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