The Secretary of State for Local
Government, Lands and Religious Affairs Alhagie Ismaila Sambou, yesterday
presided over the official inauguration of the Islamic Centre for Harmonisation
of Schools of Thought in The Gambia along Kairaba Avenue.
In his inaugural speech the
Religious Affairs Secretary commended the initiators for creating the centre.
He assured them of his offices support.
The centre, he added, would boost
the moral of Islamic education in the country.
Speaking earlier, Alhagie Ousman
Jah, the Executive Director of the centre, said the Islamic Ummah continue to
face serious challenges in the modern world. He said the existence and survival
of Islam as a religion and a civilisation continues to be threatened by their
enemies who unfairly view them as an obstacle to world peace and stability.
He added that Muslims are obliged to
observe the Islamic values of mutual understanding, tolerance, respect for one
another and cooperation among themselves.
The centre, he added, will serve not
only The Gambia but the entire Muslim Ummah. The centre is the first of its
kind in the country and will compliment government efforts in maintaining
peace, tolerance and social harmony among groups living in the country.
Dr Omar Jah senior, for his part,
called for respect and mutual understanding among Muslims. Dr Omar Jah senior
recalled the research programme carried out by centre into find solutions to
the differences between Sunni and Shia. Six people participated and were
awarded prizes. The occasion was attended by the Secretary of State for Justice
and several prominent scholars.