Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06BANJUL343
2006-05-29 09:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Banjul
Cable title:  

THE GAMBIA: DISCUSSIONS WITH ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS

Tags:  PREL PGOV PINS PHUM KISL KDEM GA 
pdf how-to read a cable
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DE RUEHJL #0343/01 1490949
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 290949Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANJUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6704
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANJUL 000343 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS PHUM KISL KDEM GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: DISCUSSIONS WITH ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS
FIGURES

REF: A. BANJUL 303


B. BANJUL 297 AND PREVIOUS (NOTAL)

BANJUL 00000343 001.2 OF 003


Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D)

SUMMARY
--------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BANJUL 000343

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS PHUM KISL KDEM GA
SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: DISCUSSIONS WITH ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS
FIGURES

REF: A. BANJUL 303


B. BANJUL 297 AND PREVIOUS (NOTAL)

BANJUL 00000343 001.2 OF 003


Classified By: AMBASSADOR JOSEPH STAFFORD, REASON 1.4 (B AND D)

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) In separate meetings with Ambassador, two prominent
Islamic clerics indicated that a priority of The Gambia's
Islamic religious establishment was to prevent radical,
foreign Islamic elements from establishing a foothold here
through brainwashing of the country's youth. The pair
stressed their commitment to upholding religious freedom and
inter-faith harmony, as reflected in the social integration
of the Bahai community. One interlocutor, Imam Al-Haji
Banding Drammeh, Supreme Islamic Council head, portrayed the
Islamic religious establishment's relationship with the GOTG
as harmonious. However, the other, Imam Tafsir Gaye,
asserted that The Gambia's Islamic clerics lacked "effective
channels" for consultation with the government. Both
portrayed The Gambia as stable following the aborted coup
plot in March, but Drammeh evinced little knowledge or
concern over authorities' subsequent abuses, while Gaye
indicated that he was deeply concerned but that he and
like-minded clerics lacked ways of approaching the GOTG on
this score. Ambassador urged the pair to find ways of
conveying concern over the abuses to the GOTG. END SUMMARY.

OVERVIEW
--------------


2. (C) As part of Embassy's outreach to Islamic religious
figures, Ambassador recently met separately with two leading
Gambian Islamic clerics, Imam Al-Haji Banding Drammeh,
chairman of the country's non-governmental advisory body on
Islamic issues, the Surpreme Islamic Council (SIC) and Imam
Tafsir Gaye, head of a large mosque in the Gambian capital.
Both men were educated at Cairo's Al-Azhar University, and
Ambassador's conversation with Gaye was in Arabic, as the
latter's knowledge of English was limited. As with
Ambassador's previous conversation with another prominent

Islamic cleric, Imam Baba Leigh (ref a),principal
conversation topics included the danger of radical Islamic
influence in The Gambia, relations between the Islamic
religious leadership and the GOTG, and The country's domestic
scene following the March 21 aborted coup plot here (ref b).

CONCERN OVER POTENTIAL EXTREMIST FOOTHOLD
--------------


3. (C) Both Drammeh and Gaye stated that a priority of The
Gambia's Islamic religious establishment was to prevent
radical Islamic elements from establishing a foothold here.
They asserted that while Gambian Islamic clerics had little
sympathy for radical Islamic views, some foreign counterparts
(e.g., from Gulf Arab states, Pakistan) were another matter.
Our two interlocutors expressed worry that, over time,
foreign clerics operating in local mosques and Qoranic
schools ("madrasas") might succeed in instilling an extremist
orientation in impressionable Gambian youth. They stressed
the need for the country's Islamic religious establishment
and the GOTG to be more vigilant in monitoring the activities
of foreign clerics and the content of their sermons and
school lectures. The pair also agreed that Gambian clerics
needed to be more active in propagating orthodox, apolitical
Islamic doctrines among the country's youth. (COMMENT:
Septel report of possible pro-Al-Qaida sentiment in rural
Gambia -- as reflected in murals depicting the 9/11 terrorist
attacks -- suggests that the Gambians' concern over a
possible Islamic extremist foothold being established here is
well placed. END COMMENT.)

COMMITMENT TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND INTER-FAITH HARMONY
-------------- --------------


4. (C) The pair stressed what they described as their
commitment and that of The Gambia's overwhelming (95 percent)
Muslim majority to upholding freedom of religion and
inter-faith harmony in the country. They noted that the
harmony extended not only to the Muslim and tiny Christian
and animist communities, but also to adherents of other
faiths seen as heretical by some Muslims elsewhere, Bahais,
in particular. They emphasized the full integration of the
largely expatriate (e.g., Iranian) Bahai community into
Gambian society. (COMMENT: Indicative of this integration, a
recent "graduation" ceremony at a local Bahai-run vocational
training center received prominent coverage on national
television. END COMMENT)


BANJUL 00000343 002.2 OF 003




SIC'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOVERNMENT
--------------


5. (C) SIC head Drammeh portrayed the relationship between
the Council and the Gambian Islamic religious establishment
generally, on the one hand, and the GOTG, on the other, as
harmonious. He claimed that the government's point-person on
Islamic religious issues, the Minister of Religious Affairs
(who also holds the Youth and Sports portfolio) was readily
accessible to the SIC. According to Drammeh, the government
provided no direct subsidy to the SIC, but did occasionally
cover the travel costs for SIC members to attend Islamic
religous conferences abroad. Revealing a firmly
pro-government outlook, he stated that SIC members sometimes
accompanied President Jammeh and other senior officials on
"meet the people" trips into the country's interior to
demonstrate loyalty to the GOTG leadership.

A DIVERGENT VIEW
--------------


6. (C) Imam Tafsir Gaye was less upbeat in his assessment of
Islamic clerics' relationship with the GOTG, claiming that
the two sides lacked "effective channels" for consultation.
Asked about the SIC, Gaye responded with a rhetorical
question: "does anyone think the Council is an effective
channel?" While unwilling to criticize SIC head Drammeh
directly, Gaye left the clear impression that he viewed him
as an ineffectual spokesman for the Islamic religious
community vis-a-vis the GOTG leadership.

DOMESTIC SITUATION FOLLOWING THE FAILED COUP PLOT
-------------- --------------


7. (C) The divergent views of the two clerics were also
evident in the discussion of The Gambia's internal situation
following the coup plot thwarted in March. While both agreed
that the stability of the GOTG and the country generally
remained intact following the incident and expected it to
remain so, Drammeh professed little knowledge or concern over
the ensuing deterioration in the human rights situation here.
He repeatedly condemned the failed plot, asserting that he
had "no real knowledge" of torture of detainees or other
abuses and expressing confidence that the accused would
receive a fair trial.



8. (C) Gaye, by contrast, indicated that he regarded the
reports of detainee abuse as based on fact and that he was
deeply concerned. He also expressed worry over the GOTG's
move against the private media in closing the journal,
"Independent" and detaining its personnel. However, Gaye
demurred when asked whether he and other like-minded clerics
would approach the GOTG to raise their concern over the
abuses, repeating his earlier point that there were no
"effective channels" for doing so. He ruled out acting on
his own and going public over the deteriorating human rights
situation, suggesting that to do so would only invite
retribution from authorities.


9. (C) Ambassador emphasized to both clerics our concern
over the GOTG's backsliding on human rights, as highlighted
by the reports of mistreatment of detainees and urged that
The Gambia's Islamic religious establishment look for ways to
register concern to the GOTG.

COMMENT
--------------


10. (C) SIC head Drammeh is known for his conservative stance
on social issues, as exemplified by his failure heretofore to
express opposition to FGM, unlike less tradition-bound
clerics such as Gaye and Baba Leigh. Drammeh also came
across in the conversation as the sort of pro-government
stalwart that the GOTG leadership could rely on to prevent
the SIC or the Islamic religious establishment generally from
voicing public criticism over the backsliding of late on
human rights. As for our other interlocutor, Gaye, like
Baba Leigh, indicated his frustration at the lack of
"channels" for concerned clerics such as he to convey that
concern -- privately -- to the GOTG. On a more positive
note, Drammeh, like Gaye, made clear his commitment to
upholding the inter-faith harmony prevailing in The Gambia,
including, as exemplified by the social integration of
adherents of the Bahai faith. END COMMENT.




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STAFFORD