Amadou Kabir Njie wrote: << Jabou" Well Imam Fatty was just an example of my worse nightmare and the kind of attitude that a certain religious posture can breed: contempt and disregard for others, which in itself is quite un-Islamic but can I take it that since you did not try to defend your assertion that: ".....If this is the case, then let us cease to make any criticisms of colonialism, nor should we have fought for independence from the same since our colonizers built schools and hospitals" you agree with me that it was both invalid and futile to try to equate the Ahmadiyyas to the colonialist? For the Ahmadiyya have never stolen and are not stealing from the Gambian people as the colonialist did. The Ahmadiyya have not demonstrated any disrespect for any other faiths or for the people as a whole, as the colonialist did. The Ahmadiyya have facilitated the provision of healthcare and education to many Gambians and continue to do so to the delight of many whose fate would otherwise have been left to the mercy of inadequate and poor state of these services that own government has to offer. Just the other day Omar Njie told us how he attended their school, went to their meetings, but mainly for the free cola! He managed to get himself some education, a free cola now and then, and then went on to become an invaluable resource both to his country and to his own family, but continued to believe what he wants to believe! I think that's quite a good bargain, don't you? I think that every student that went through one of the Ahmadiyya schools and then went on to contribute towards the development of the country, one way or another, deserved the opportunity! As far as the Ahmadiyya preach and practice their religion peacefully, I think they have all rights to operate in the country without being under constant seige. The constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, has provided for the freedom worship. Every Gambian deserves the same respect that we desire for own self and our own faith. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. One day the chickens might just come home to roost! I think that as we were talking here about widening the democratic space sometime ago, we should also be talking about "maintaining" the religious space! I say "maintain" because Gambians have always been tolerant of other faith other than their own. This in turn have engendered religious harmony and peaceful co-existence. In the Gambia faiths cut right across ethnic backgrounds and even across family lines. Most Gambians feel that people should be free to worship whatever way they choose as far as they do not threaten the security of others by sowing seeds of discord. How many times have Nigerian intitutions of higher been closed down because of riots between Muslims and Christians and how many times has it not been discovered that there was a political hand behind it all? There is too much emotion attached to religion and religious issues and which is prone to abuse by religious opportunists and unscrupulous politicians. I think we should spend our energies on much more important and meaningful issues than constant religious bickering. We should be careful what we ask for, for it may be exactly what we get! We should be grateful that ours are not sects of the kind that preach amargedeon and mass suicide. Nor ones that sermon the masses out of their last Dalasi, but rather ones that build schools and hospitals and do not even require that you subscribe to their belief in order to be illegible to join their institutions. Many young people have gone through these schools and gone on to gain further educational achievements without having compromised their belief in the Holy Quran and Islam. The same is true of probably thousands who have gone through Christian Mission Schools. We have only something to gain and nothing to loose! Regards. A. Kabir Njie. ******************* Amadou, l think we will just have to agree to disagree on this one, because you miss the whole point of my argument.l am not arguing about the contributions of the Ahmadiyyas, but about beliefs and practices they engage in that is counter to the very foundation of islam, and which, it is a duty of every muslim to warn their fellow muslim about.l am not a defender of the Jammeh regime and it's cohorts, but l am supportive of the fact that Fatty is warning fellow muslims about the Ahmadiyya movement as a sect that has beliefs that are regarded as innovative.Despite my explanations, and the article posted by Modou Mbye on this issue, you continue to bring forth the contributions of the Ahmadiyya, and religious intolerance as the issue. In my opinion, warning muslims about Ahmadiyya constitutes educating them about what to avoid in our religion, and strengthening our efforts to purify our worship, end of story. Why my quip about colonialism? Should the contributions others make in our country and our lives be sufficient reason for us not to oppose or criticise them in any way, even if this opposition or criticism will result in a greater good for us as a people in the long run? Those who colonized us also initiated and left schools and other institutions for example, that we still utilize.Should we have maintained that system or stand in defense of them because of the fact that they were making these contribution? In the same manner, should religious leaders forego warning our fellow believers against the innovation of Ahmadiyya because they have built hospitals and schools? l guess it is a matter of what is important to one.Please understand that l am not advocating the prosecution of anyone. In our quest for excellence in all aspects of our lives, be it purity in religion, better, more competent and non-corrupt government and leaders, a better future for our country, if all of us listen well, get all the facts, make the comparisons and the right choices based on facts and knowledge, then all those institutions and practices that are based on false premises will self destruct. l can understand how Fatty's association with the Jammeh regime, as well as his views on many issues elicits a negative reaction from many people (including myself ), but again, l do appreciate his outspokenness on this particular issue, especially since he is the first person that l am aware of, who has publicly addressed this issue. Jabou Joh ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------