Karamba, Please can you tell me what you will achieve with this Gamo thing, which in its own right is personal to the group that organises the event, moreover you said, that you made a point by even streeing that people of their own volition can choose to do whatever they want in matters of faith, why the negation on your part.This ABILITY they have to organise such events is not something that every individual possess, you should have encourage them for such things are "tummurankeh" in this part of the world. secondly you said you firmly believe in individual choice and indepedent thought, if this is the thruth why are we having this discuss or do you want to tell me that you do not know that the group that organises that event is an entity which is individual and independent. Its true that in your eyes the folks in the brotherhood were happy and seemed spiritually fulfilled but in your heart which matters most you saw them differently thats why you contented with what you saw as beyond believe to be a healthy relationship between what you regard as educator and student. Karamba assumption is a dangerous thing you always end up regretting, What went on there is not near the basis of their relationship, it is the least that those decent individuals stand for, I am not trying to defend anyone but everyone, cause I know money is the last thing that crosses their minds. In gamos that is the norm I am not disputing the fact that people tend to profit from it both the organisers and lecturer, but its their volition to give their monies or whatever, which is a divine gift. I bet my life that if you have child from your wife and "guewels" starts orating your family background, you will give them every penny you have in your pocket,which is more or less the samething.If they believe that the prophet is the source of life and creation is his "taranga" then I dont blame them for what they did, and I hope you will do the decent thing by apologising to them and ascribing your name to such events, and if you believe that their is no principle of islam in dispute here, think again karamba,it is the duty of every muslim to spread the word of the Quran and the Hadidth of the prophet (pbuh)and where best to that other than ocassions like this and place like AMERICA and through the western world.If you cannot fulfill that duty, paying for someone to do that for you would be courageous in my book. wasalam koto >From: [log in to unmask] >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Koto>>Re: The 'Serigne/Marabout" Concept >Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2002 08:54:31 EST > >Mr Faal will not address the underlying issues . He is attempting to make a >simple observation a heresy trial. No basic tenet of Islam is on dispute >here. Islam is supposed to be a religion and a way of life. It stresses >modesty and the obsolute need for integrity. I made a point of stressing >that >people of their own volition can choose to do whatever they want in matters >of faith. I also said the folks who were into the whole brotherhood thing >were happy and seemed spiritually fulfilled. Unlike Mr Faal I am a firm >believer in individual choice and independent thought. He is spending all >his >time trying to tag labels on me and making idiotic conclusions that have no >basis in truth. The inculcation of religious knowledge ought to be simple >and >straight forward devoid of all the social baggage inherent in our >societies. >It is my contention that what I saw at that event went beyond what I >believe >is a healthy relationship between educator and a student in some respect. >Granted this was what both parties wanted and may well be the overall basis >for the whole relationship. I simply don't ascribe to it. >Karamba > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L >Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~