By: Modou Touray
Women’s Association for Women’s and Victim’s Empowerment ( WAVE) and the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), in collaboration with the National Parliamentary Caucus on Freedom of Religion or Belief ( FoRB), held two Seminar at the Baobab Holiday Resort in Bijilo from the 14th- 15 th April 2025.
The Seminar is entitled: ” Uniting for Freedom of Region or Belief: Advancing Dialogue, inclusion, and Sustainable Peace in the Gambia.”
The activity is being carried out under WAVE-Gambia’s project in collaboration with the Global Initiative Against Impunity- Making Justice Work, titled Strengthening Accountability and Transitional Justice in the Gambia through Effective Implementation of TRRC Recommendations.
Priscilla Yagu Ceesay of WAVE the Gambia expressed the need for religious tolerance in ensuring peace and spoke at length on the implications of a society where people are not free to practice their faiths and beliefs.
“We have witnessed firsthand how the denial of religious freedom can lead to exclusion and persecution.
We must work together to build a nation that upholds human rights, dignity, tolerance, and coexistence.”
Dr. Rasheed Draman, Director of the African Center for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA)said:
“Research shows that when this right is denied, it becomes difficult to sustain a democratic society—because it marginalizes parts of the population and undermines equality.”
He also recognised the effort being made by the Gambia in its quest to encourage freedom of religion as well as the importance of theme.
The program was also aimed to address priorities with National Assembly Members (NAMS) ensuring that rights to Freedom of Religion or Belief are effectively protected and promoted in line with the TRRC’s recommendations.
It was observed that the Gambia used to be a reference point for Religious Freedom and Tolerance in the subregion, but Ghana has taken that place now thanks, mainly to the State-sponsored religious intolerance of the Jammeh regime against the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, the Ndigal sect, the Shia sect and the Christians.
Religious intolerance was unknown in the Gambia until as recently as 25 years ago when Wahabi-trained scholars from Saudi Arabia started attacking, labelling and condemning to hell all those who differ with them in Islamic and religious teachings with the active political and financial support of the government of the second republic that consequently, led to the constitution of Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC).
The seminar was attended by senior police officers from the Gambia Police Force, CSOs, Lawyers, National Assembly Members, Journalists, representatives from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat, the Ndigal sect, and Imams.
An interesting point of observation was made regarding the unnecessary misuse of PA systems by mosques and churches. The contributions of the law enforcement officers, particularly regarding the misuse of PA systems in our mosques and churches, aside from calling Azan or calling to prayers, was termed “Public Nuisance”, and the police have to address any public nuisance, especially when a formal complaint is made before the police.
The participants, at the end of the seminar, agreed that the TRRC recommendations should be promoted and implemented by all stakeholders to ensure that no one is ever again discriminated against or persecuted based on their beliefs.
