History thought us that every major religion has its roots in Africa. The first people to ascribe a name to a dimensionless mighty being, beyond the grasp of the human imagination were Africans. Black Africans to be specific. To be more specific, the roots of Christianity, Judaism and Islam are African and all the prophets were African. These assertions are a proven scientific fact supported by the break through works of Doctor Cheikh Anta Diop (May his abode be paradise).
That’s not the end of Africa’s relation with these religions. Arabs and Europeans over the centuries have used the same religions to enslave Africans and exploit their resources forcefully, with hundreds of millions killed and scarred forever, for them to attain the standard of life they have today.
Contradictingly, we have Africans all over the continent killing each other because of attachment to one religion or the other. The Gambia is in no way immune to these religious strives as recent happenings indicate. The debate about inclusion or exclusion of the word secular in the draft constitution has reached fever peak. Let’s not forget this is a single word in the discourse of religion that does not have meaning in any of our languages.
Still it evokes so much emotion that is not ordinary. Most of it based on ignorance.
Acrimony over belief is awakening a sleeping monster in our little Gambia that has the potential to set friends and families against each other. Remember, all for a word that the majority do not understand and a word that does not exist in any Gambian Languages.
Further, the situation is getting exploited by powerful islamic interest groups, who saw an opportunity to stamp their mark on the most supreme document that every single Gambian should exist under. The powerful Christian bodies are also at it. They contend that to exclude secular will leave their flock exposed to making Islam a state religion in the country.
Tension is brewing all because of one word.
One wonders how the drama will end. The suggestion by Alhagie Drammeh is to translate the constitution into our languages. I said it shouldn’t have even been written in English, in the first place. There is no justification to continue to administer our affairs in a language that close to 60% of our people have no agency in.
Alhagie said he is confident, writing the constitution in languages Gambians understand and own, will solve the unnecessary noise over the inclusion or exclusion on a single word the majority do not understand.
Is the CRC listening and taking note of all the concerns raised regarding a document that should safeguard the rights, freedoms and prosperity of all Gambians? Only time will tell.
Yours in the service of The Gambia and Afrikka, I remain.
*Da One*
