By Alieu Jallow
During his Eid-ul-Fitr sermon, Ebrima Janko Jarju, the Imam of Sohm village in Kombo East, West Coast Region, urged the local worshippers to refrain from seeking guidance from their idols in times of calamity or disaster.
During the Eid al-Fitr sermon, he commended his community’s resilience throughout the holy month of Ramadan, acknowledging their significant progress in adhering to the tenets of their faith.
The Imam characterized certain actions of his community as unacceptable in Islam, attributing them to external influences from their kin in Casamance.
“We [should] stop visiting our iroko trees. Let’s stop [seeking guidance from] idols. You are here in Sohm being a good Muslim fulfilling all your religious rites, but someone from Cassamance will come and influence you in doing what’s against the religion.
“You take the person’s words and go against the almighty Allah,” Imam Janko said.
The esteemed religious leader stressed that the teachings he shares are not his own nor his ancestors’, but those of the almighty Allah, and thus he urges his followers to abandon the act.
Imam Janko has faced challenges in his efforts to shift the beliefs his community holds about spirits. Despite this, he has achieved notable progress, although a small segment still engages in practices prohibited in Islam. Many have commended his sermons today, hailing them as some of the finest in recent memory.
