Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL) – Christians in The Gambia, though a minority in the predominantly Muslim country, are reportedly facing subtle persecution, according to a Catholic Priest serving in the West African nation, the Association for Catholic Informations reports.

According this Catholic Media platform, Fr. Peter Stephen Lopez, the Director of the Pastoral Centre of the Catholic Diocese of Banjul, expressed concern over the emergence of extremist teachings among some Imams, leading to tensions between the two religious communities. He noted instances where individuals faced discrimination in job opportunities due to their Christian names.

“The Gambia has enjoyed religious freedom until now,” Fr. Lopez stated. “But these days, we hear people talking about how they fail to get jobs just because they bear Christian names.”

Fr. Lopez highlighted the danger posed by certain Imams from Arab countries who, unfamiliar with The Gambia’s history of religious tolerance, preach against interaction between Muslims and Christians. These Imams caution Muslims against visiting Christian homes, consuming food prepared by Christians, or attending Christian events.

With Christians constituting only about 4.2 percent of The Gambia’s population, Fr. Lopez fears that the increasing religious extremism could threaten the existence of Christianity in the country.

Moreover, he expressed concern that the government might be promoting an Islamic State agenda, referring to former President Yahya Jammeh’s 2015 declaration of The Gambia as an Islamic State. Fr. Lopez worries that the forthcoming Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit in The Gambia might revisit this agenda.

Fr. Lopez also criticized media regulators for permitting Imams to incite religious-based animosity on radio, suggesting that the regulatory body may be compromised.

The Gambia, with a population of approximately 2.2 million, is predominantly Muslim, with Christians accounting for a small percentage. Fr. Lopez estimates that over 90 percent of the country’s Christian population are Catholic.