Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Kombo Tujereng Islamic preacher Musa Boto Saidy has appealed for forgiveness from members of The Gambia’s Manjago community following controversy over remarks in which he referred to Manjagos as “kafir.”
The matter was brought before the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council by members of the Manjago community, who called for action over comments they described as offensive and discriminatory.
The Council, the country’s apex Islamic authority, seeks to promote tolerance, understanding, and peaceful coexistence among religious groups.
Responding to the petition, Saidy said he never intended to insult the Manjago people or create division between communities. He said his remarks were made in a religious context and were directed at non-Muslims rather than the Manjago ethnic group as a whole.
“I am not belittling the Manjagos,” Saidy said. “I was referring to people who are not Muslims. I did not mean to discriminate against Manjagos who are Muslims or those who are not Muslims.”
Saidy said the issue he addressed more than three years ago involved a Gambian national team footballer of Manjago background who is married to a Muslim woman. He maintained that his comments were based on his understanding of Islamic teachings and were not intended as an attack on the ethnic group.
However, he acknowledged that his words may have caused pain and misunderstanding within the Manjago community.
“If my words sounded bad to any Manjago or any person, I seek your forgiveness,” he said. “Anyone who knows me will tell you that I do not like problems. All I think about is the people behind me.”
Saidy rejects allegations.
The Islamic teacher also rejected allegations made against him, describing them as false and politically motivated. He claimed that some people were targeting him because of his support for President Adama Barrow.
“What Allah says will not happen will not happen,” Saidy said, urging critics not to take the matter beyond what he described as its original context.
Seeking to demonstrate his relationship with the Manjago community, Saidy said he lives close to Manjago neighbors in Tujereng and regularly interacts with them.
“My neighbors are Manjagos, less than five minutes’ walk from my house,” he said. “Ask them about Musa, the sorrel I grow, and the okra I buy from them. We are all one.”
Saidy described himself as a family man with 27 living children, after losing four children, and said he carries responsibility for more than 500 followers in his compound. He appealed for restraint, understanding, and prayers for peace.
The controversy has renewed discussion about the use of language when religious identity, ethnicity, and community relations intersect in The Gambia, particularly in public religious discourse.
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