OP

By Sheriff Saidykhan

Muhammed Sanyang, the former manager of DHK radio is in urgent need of overseas medical treatment.  He was diagnosed with a Liver disease at the Royal Victoria and Teaching Hospital (RVTH) in Banjul.

In a series of medical consultations at the Kanifing hospital confirmed that, he is also battling  with other illnesses, including heart enlargement, diabetes and high blood.

For over one year, Mr.  Sanyang has been reeling with the sickness, and still lack the financial muscles to go for the overseas treatment. 

He was admitted at the Fortis Hospital in India, to undergo a Liver transplant surgery costing USD 30000.  In an interview with The Outpost Media, Muhammed Sanyang explained the state of his health conditions. 

“My stomach gets swollen sometimes, and under my feet I feel pain. It is very painful.  Also I urinate blood anytime I go to the toilet on several times,” he worried.

Muhammed Sanyang is currently appealing for help, from philanthropist and donor agencies to undergo a Liver transplant surgery in India. 

Mr. Sanyang can be reach on 9226661

By Sheriff Saidykhan 

Consumers in the country have lamented their growing frustrations over the exorbitant price of basic commodities during the month of Ramadan. 

Many consumers are financially struggling to afford ‘Iftar’ meal for their families, saying the price of meat and other basic commodities in the market is expensive. 

Awa Secka, of Kunkujang argued about the price hike during the month of Ramadan, adding that her fish money cannot afford to buy most of the basic commodities.

“Meat is costing 400D, my fish money is 150 how will I manage it to cook good food for my family. Nowadays every one is complaining about it, the cost of oil, onion , chicken, meat and Irish potato all of these commodities are expensive honestly,” she queried. 

Fatima Sonko, a resident of Old Yundum equally spoke about the expensive prices of the basic commodities in the market.

The soaring price of the basic commodities she said, have been exacerbated by artificial hoarding. This she added,  have negative impact for poor families.

She added that the unscrupulous business of many vendors through enriching themselves in the market has contributed to the increment of the basic commodities during the month of Ramadan. 

“The only thing most of the vendors are concerned with is amassing wealth by any dubious means regardless of the negative impact it will have in society, especially the poor. 

Most of them (vendors) in fact believe that Ramadan is the right time for them to get rich by unnecessarily increasing the prices of market commodities,” she concluded.

Beware of The Sinister Thief: Social Media

Social media has transformed our way of life. While social media may offer some  benefits, research has shown that regular use of social media causes mental health  problems, addictions, lower attention spans, physical health problems, poor sleep  quality, relationship problems and more. However, the most harmful effect of social  media is on our hearts and our relationship with Allah _سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالٰى‎

Today, one of the biggest obstacles in our journey to Allah is social media and the  entertainment industry. Thus, before the month of Ramaḍān begins, it is vital that we  reassess our relationship with social media and reflect on its harms. Ramaḍān is the  month in which we should undertake a much needed ‘detox’. Psychologists are now  advocating ‘fasting from social media’. If we could do the same in this month for our  spiritual health, our Ramaḍān would truly be transformative.

The following are some of the key harms of social media and practical solutions we  can take to protect ourselves:   

1️⃣. Time waster & addiction: Social media is the biggest thief of our time. Millions of dollars have been spent on designing social media platforms to ensure that we become addicted to them, using psychological and behavioural techniques such as infinite scrolling, instant  gratification, personalised algorithms and constant notifications. These platforms distract us from our goals, hinder us from our social and familial responsibilities, and reduce our ability to focus. Our worship, such as ṣalāh, dhikr and seeking knowledge,  is particularly impacted, and we struggle to maintain it for any significant duration.

Solution: As Muslims, every moment of our lives is precious and we must use our time  consciously, wisely and productively, especially in Ramaḍān. Therefore, try to detox  from social media completely. Otherwise, reduce it to the bare minimum: have a set  ‘window’ in which you allow yourself to catch up on it, rather than just saying ‘I’m  going to reduce it.’ For example, ‘I will use social media for twenty minutes after ifṭār.’ Deactivate all social media apps and remove them from your phone. You can also use  free apps or plug-ins on your browser that restrict the limit on when and for how long  you can use social media.

Similarly, don’t waste your time arguing pointlessly online. Al-Awzā’ī r said, “When  Allah intends evil for a people, He makes them busy with arguing, and prevents them  from (real) action.”

2️⃣. Gazing at haram: Social media platforms are full of ḥarām and harmful imagery. It’s common to see  enticing pictures and videos of evil acts and the opposite gender. Gazing at ḥarām  is a poison which leads to the darkness of the heart and stops us from tasting the  sweetness of īmān and worshipping Allah. Along with lowering our gazes from  anything which incites lust, we should also avoid looking at the glitz and glamour of the world, as this makes our hearts attached to the world.

Solution: We have to protect ourselves from all ḥarām, including looking at that which  is ḥarām. Similarly, we should ensure that we are not posting anything which can be  a source of temptation for another person. Ramaḍān is the time to end any ḥarām  interactions with the opposite gender and unfollow any account that is harmful or not  beneficial to your spiritual and mental wellbeing.

3️⃣. Backbiting, slander & lying:  It is common for people to criticise others or talk badly of others on social media, even  sometimes under the guise of ‘daʿwah’. It is not just the person who backbites that is  sinful. Even the one who is listening or reading is sinful as he is complicit in spreading negativity and harm to others. 

If what was shared was not even true (and as an observer you are unlikely to know  whether it is true or not), then it falls under the extremely dangerous major sin of  slander. Spreading false information can have serious consequences for individuals,  communities, and the Ummah at large.  Backbiting, slandering and lying are major sins which should not be taken lightly.  Each has disastrous consequences in this world and the hereafter.  

Solution: Do not spread or share negative information about others. Before posting  anything, consider if it is necessary and respectful to share. If you have a concern,  speak directly to the person involved, with the correct adab. If you are following  someone who is speaking badly or negatively of others, unfollow that person. If you  want to share information about an event/topic, verify it is correct before you share it, otherwise don’t share it.

The Prophet ﷺ was once shown the horrific punishment of a man lying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an iron hook. (The man standing) would put the hook in one side of the  man’s mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back of his neck, and (he would tear) his nose from front to back, and his eye from front to back. Then he would turn to the other side of the man’s face and  do just as he had done with the other side. He would hardly complete  this side when the other side would return to its normal state.Then he  would return to it to repeat what he had done before. The Prophet ﷺ was told that this was the punishment for a man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells lies that are spread all over the world  (Bukhārī).

Author: Naeem Bemath,  from South Africa

Publiisher’s Note

Views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

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                                   Photo Credit (CAF)

By Sheriff Saidykhan

The Young Lions of Teranga have won their first-ever Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)  final, after beating Gambia in what is dubbed as the ‘Senegambia final’ in Cairo on Saturday 11, March 2023.

The Young Scorpions were playing their first AFCON U20 final, whilst the Young Lions of Teranga playing their fourth  final of the AFCON U20 Championship.

Sulaymane Faye netted an early lead in the seven  minutes of the first half. The Senegalese U20 dominated the ball possession, causing many troubles in the Gambia\

The Women Journalist Association of The Gambia (WOJAG)  joins the rest of the world to mark this year\

By Sheriff Saidykhan

Marr Nyang, the Executive Director of Gambia Participates (GP) a civil society organization established to fight corruption, has said that corruption has become widespread and endemic at the Ministry of Health.

The mismanagement of public funds, he said, has become a commonplace at the Ministry of Health. He made these remarks recently with The Outpost Media at his office in Kanifing.

 “The Ministry of Health is becoming well known for the theft of public wealth and emergency funds. We have witnessed it with the mismanagement of the Ebola funds and the recent Covid-19 funds. Graft is systemic and endemic in this ministry because the leadership sits and watch things happen without doing something about it,” he queried. 

He added: “where corruption is widespread, there is no future for economic growth. The only future for economic growth is for the individuals who plunder the public wealth,” he said. 

His remarks came in the wake of the massive corruption scandal with over 10 million allegedly missing from the Global Fund Program, under the Ministry of Health. 

The Minister of Finance briskly wrote to the Head of Grant Management Division of the Global Health Campus in Switzerland saying “the government is seriously concerned about the audit findings”

By Sheriff Saidykhan 

The Super Eagles of Nigeria are out of the AFCON U20 after Gambia scored a decisive 1-0 victory yesterday. 

Nigeria, seven times champions of the AFCON  U20 championship were humiliated by the Scorpions of The Gambia at the Cairo international stadium in Egypt.

 Adama Bojang, netted in the 7minutes during the first half, seeing Nigeria out of the tournament. The semi final match saw a huge atmosphere inside the Cairo Stadium, with both fans exchanging chants. 

The Scorpions defended solidly during the second half, whilst the Super Eagles dominated the entire ball possession of the match. 

 Nigeria secured a penalty in the 85 minutes of the second half.  Super Eagles Ahmed Abdullahi missed the spot kick, seeing Nigerian fans holding their heads, as they watched their side knock out of the tournament. 

President Adama Barrow congratulated the team in his Twitter message saying “It’s not the size that matter but the determination to win. Congratulations to our Young #Scorpions for another great win,” he stated.  

The Scorpions of The Gambia will play their first ever AFCON U20 final against the Lions of Teranga of Senegal, in what is dubbed as the “Senegambia final” on Saturday 11, March 2023.