| Community Leader, Philip Saine sheds light on ongoing ‘veil’ issue, urges vigilance against extremist ideologies packaged as something else |By Phillip SaineThe Veil Civil Suit in the Gambia initiated by ‘Concerning Citizens’ came as a surprise to many but never-the-less does not surprise many Gambians who are versed with their disturbing agenda. At this stage of Gambia development, it would have been thought that ‘Concerning Citizens’, rather than striving for the wearing of veils at schools, they should have spent time and energy to upgrade standards of education, provision of appropriate school learning materials, device ways to improve on school transportation, improving on school performance and examination results. These would have been most ideal tenants for contest for an honest and concerned citizen.It is apparent that the veil issue harmonizes well with the attempt to pursue the ‘Islamic State’ agenda started under Ex-President Jammeh, and his invitation of the controversial preacher, Zakir Naik, and the illegal declaration of The Gambia an Islamic State in breach of the Constitution (Dec. 2015 Brufut Declaration of The Gambia as an Islamic State). This was followed by Lobbyists during the consultation process of the failed 2020 Draft Constitution seeking that non-Muslim parties be subjected to the jurisdiction of the Sharia in total disregard for the religious rights of Christians and also the refusal to entrench ‘Clause 10’ of the same draft constitution, leaving an open door for subsequent erosion of all other sources of Gambian law but Shariah. All these are constantly being reinforced by numerous pronouncement provocatively emphasizing that The Gambia is a Muslim majority and therefore a ‘Muslim country’. This statement is erroneously premised on personal conviction that The Gambia is an ‘Islamic State’.Dictatorship of the Majority could have happened the world-over except in little Gambia. Despite its small population, The Gambia has equal voting rights at the United Nations (UN), being the tiniest country in West Africa, yet granted equal membership at the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS). The Gambia rightfully challenged the Myanmar Government\

2023-05-14 19:03:00