RAWDA TELLS GOV’T TO INCREASE PRISON TERM FOR GAYS TO 20 YEARS

The coordinator general of the Rawdatul Majaalis, a grassroots Islamic organisation in The Gambia, has praised the Gambian judiciary, specifically, Senior Magistrate Isatou Jallow of the Brusubi court.

A fortnight ago, Janneh sentenced two young gay men Muhammed Krubally and Muhammed Jawo to a mandatory jailed term of five years for engaging in a homosexual act.

Rawda’s Alhaji Morro Sillah hailed the sentence and called on the Barrow administration to amend the laws and increase the jail term for homosexual acts from five years to 20 years.

In an audio statement released on behalf of Rawda and shared with The Standard yesterday, Sillah stated: “We are expressing our sincere and profound gratitude to Senior Magistrate Isatou Jallow of the Brusubi court for taking a tough stance by sentencing these two gay men to five years imprisonment. We are proud of her judgement, and we recognise the good work she has been offering to the country, as required by the laws of The Gambia. “

The Islamic cleric contended that no culture or religion in The Gambia condones homosexuality and that handing down the maximum penalty provided for by the law would serve as an effective deterrent.

He said if the trend of homosexuality is not addressed head on, it could undermine social cohesion and destroy the moral and social foundations of the Gambian nation.

He added: “Homosexuality and gay marriage are contrary to our religious values, cultural traditions, our moral principles upon which our society has long been founded. We therefore, welcome the decisions of the magistrate. In light of this landmark judgement by Magistrate Jallow, we respectfully urge the president, chief justice, Ministry of Justice and the National Assembly to take decisive action to amend the laws regarding homosexuality in this country to protect the values and stability of our society.

“It is the collective responsibility of everyone to remain vigilant in safeguarding our religion, the moral, cultural, and spiritual integrity of our country. We hear reports of the growing prevalence of homosexuality in Senegal, the country that we share long, open borders with as well as deep historical and cultural ties. What is happening there could happen here. Therefore, the need to arrest the situation before the cancer spreads here and becomes malignant, “he urged.

Source: The Standard