In a rare news report, as Christians routinely have no voice in Islamic countries….
Christian Churches in the Gambia have demanded the declaration of their country as a secular state, in a new Constitution being drafted.
Kudos to the Christian Council of the Gambia, which is opposing the official declaration of Gambia as an Islamic Republic in 2015 by its former president Yahya Jammeh. At the time, Jammeh stated:
“Gambia’s destiny is in the hands of the Almighty Allah. As from today, Gambia is an Islamic state. We will be an Islamic state that will respect the rights of the citizens”
But in 2017, when new President Adama Barrow took office, he stated at his first news conference that “the country’s official name will no longer contain the word ‘Islamic.’” Barrow also promised reforms to allow for religious freedom, and now with the new constitution being drafted, Christians are advocating that “secular state” be used to describe the over 90-percent Muslim country.
Gambia’s Christians know all too well that under Islamic law, threats to their religious rights and freedoms will escalate. There are already restrictions on Christians in the country.
“Gambia: Christians demand that the state be declared secular and not Islamic,” Vatican News, December 17, 2019:
Christian Churches in the Gambia have demanded the declaration of their country as a secular state, in a new Constitution being drafted.
Former President declared country an Islamic Republic.
Gambia is a small country situated in West Africa. It has a population of 2.35 million people.
Former President, Yahya Jammeh, declared the country an Islamic Republic in 2015. He said he wanted to distance the nation from its colonial past.
Despite assurances by the new Government of President Adama Barrow, there have been noticeable restrictions on Christians. Members of the Christian Council of the Gambia (CCG), composed of the Catholic, Anglican and Methodist Churches are now demanding that in the preamble of the future Constitution, the words “secular state” be specified….