One of the nation’s leading Imams Muhammed Lamin Touray has said he is impressed by the character and religiosity of President Adama Barrow and declaring: ‘I Imam Touray will not oppose Barrow’.
The former Supreme Islamic Council president stated this while making clarification regarding his meeting with UDP leader Ousainou Darboe.
Imam Touray who is now the chief Imam of Gunjur said: “Accepting Allah’s decision is an act of faith. When the prophet asked Gibril to tell him about the pillars of faith, he told him about five pillars and the sixth one he told him to accept Allah’s decision. That he should accept it when it good or bad. Any person in any position in this world is based on Allah’s will. If you trust in Allah’s will, you should accept it when a person has anything good. If you refuse to accept, then you’re disobeying God. Since this country was established, the first president to the last has all been confirmed by God. I said it at Lawyer [Darboe’s] meeting.
“Firstly I said one should accept Allah’s will. Allah has willed that President Barrow is presently the leader. It’s God who put him there and no one. And it’s him alone who will remove him from power. As humans, our duty is to support him and pray for him so that this country can go forward.
“Secondly, I have not seen anything [conditions] that the prophet advised his people to disobey a leader. The prophet warned us against disobeying a leader. Unless a leader asked us to do something bad or prevent us from doing something good. The prophet said we should not obey him if he asks us to do something which is bad. Also, if he prevents us from the good, he [prophet] said we should not obey him. This is the reason why I Imam Touray will not be an opposition.
“Thirdly, anyone who wants to be opposition here would be opposing Adama Barrow. Allah has enabled me to travel this country with Barrow. During our tour of the nation and me getting close to him, I studied him well. I’m impressed by his religiosity and his character. I have not seena reason why I should oppose him. Barrow is the one whom you know must first pray before going to a meeting during our tour. That is something that was always obvious to us the imams. At State House, there are many times he will come out from his office and all of us will pray at together at the mosque. That’s a new thing I saw there.
“[Fourthly] I spent 12 years at Supreme Islamic Council. No one has ever given us money to help ourselves except Barrow. The time Barrow’s support came, we had debt of over D100,000. We were paying just our secretary, security and the cleaner. The president never got paid talk less of those under him. When it’s full month, I ask Ebrima Jarju to borrow me D5,000, I ask Dr Mbaye to borrow me D4,000 and I myself would add D2000 and then pay them. We did that for seven months and we settle those debts when Barrow’s money came. Right now, even though we cannot pay staff but anyone who comes for a meeting is given his transport allowance. This is why I Imam Touray will not oppose Barrow.”
