By: Dawda Baldeh
In the days following the execution of Imam Marcellus Williams (Khalifa) in Missouri, both Muslims and non-Muslims worldwide have voiced their concerns regarding his death.
Williams, aged 55, was convicted in 2001 for the murder of Felicia Gayle, a former newspaper journalist who was found stabbed to death in her home in 1998. However, years after his conviction, legal challenges persisted as his lawyers maintained his innocence.
Before his execution on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, numerous protesters gathered at the execution facility, urging officials to halt the execution, asserting that he was innocent of the crime for which he had been convicted over twenty years earlier.
Despite claims that there was insufficient evidence to establish his guilt, Imam Marcellus Williams (Khalifa) was executed on Tuesday via lethal injection.
The Gambia Action Party (GAP) has condemned the execution of Imam Williams, labeling it an attack on both Islam and the Black community.
In response to the execution, Musa Ousainou Yali Batchilly, the leader of GAP, stated, “The brutal and barbaric execution of Imam Marcellus Khalifa in Missouri highlights the deeply rooted racial and religious intolerance still present in the so-called beacon of democracy, the United States.”
Batchilly criticized the U.S. stance on democracy, and asserted that the “atrocious” execution was not merely an attack on an individual; it was an assault on the dignity of all Black individuals and Muslims worldwide.
“In a nation that prides itself on upholding the rule of law, justice, and equality, the execution of a prominent religious figure, particularly a Black man, in broad daylight exposes the harsh reality of systemic racism and Islamophobia that continues to afflict American society,” he remarked.
GAP extends its deepest sympathies to the Black community in America, the global Muslim Ummah, and the family of Imam Marcellus Khalifa.
“His unjust execution serves as a painful reminder of the oppression experienced by people of color and Muslims in Western societies, and we grieve alongside all those who have suffered from this injustice,” he expressed.
Moreover, GAP has called upon the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League to respond swiftly to this egregious crime.
Batchilly also questioned whether the OIC and the Arab League would remain silent on this matter or take action to prevent such occurrences in the future.
“The world is observing, and both organizations must take decisive measures to hold those accountable and demand justice for the family of Imam Marcellus Khalifa,” he stated.
“Imam Khalifa’s death must not be in vain, and the international community must ensure that such tragedies do not happen again,” he emphasized.
Finally, Batchilly joined the rest of the Muslim community in praying for the soul of Imam Marcellus Khalifa to be granted Jannatul Firdaus and for justice to prevail for all those who continue to face discrimination and violence due to their race or religion.
Background Information:
Marcellus Williams (Khalifa) was an Imam who was convicted in 2001 for the murder of Felicia Gayle, a former newspaper reporter found stabbed to death in her home in 1998.
“But no forensic evidence linked Williams to the murder weapon or crime scene, and as local prosecutors have renounced his conviction, the victim’s family and several trial jurors also said they opposed his execution,” according to The Guardian.
He was executed in Missouri on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, despite objections from prosecutors and the agreement of the victim’s family to his life imprisonment.
The 55-year-old Imam was killed by lethal injection, ending a legal battle that has sparked widespread outrage as the office that originally tried the case suggested he was wrongfully convicted, The Guardian reported.
The lethal injection was given at 6:01 p.m., and Williams was declared dead at 6:10 p.m., according to CNN.
Williams’ attorneys had filed numerous appeals based on what they described as new evidence, including alleged bias in jury selection and contamination of the murder weapon before the trial.
The victim’s family had requested that the inmate be spared from death.
His execution has ignited outrage and criticism worldwide, with many questioning the administration of justice in the United States.
