By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
President Yahya Jammeh, who has for twenty-one years served as Gambia’s president, declared his nation an Islamic republic claiming this action would serve to break from the nations “colonial past.”
Though Gambia’s population is ninety percent Muslim and this would be in many ways seem an alignment with the culture of its people, the nation nevertheless has a very poor reputation for human rights, especially in its treatment of its homosexual citizens.
Jammeh is a vehemently and vocal anti-gay leader who told gays and lesbians in 2008 to leave the country or risk decapitation. Five women have now been arrested as accused lesbians in what human rights groups are calling a national campaign of terror and torture by the police.
The law criminalizes what it calls “aggravated homosexuality,” involving “serial offenders” and people living with HIV or AIDS. The law lumps such “repeat offenders” who engage in homosexual relations with people who engage in homosexual acts with someone who is under 18, disabled or who has been drugged or is under the “authority” of the homosexual. The accused face life in prison.
Amnesty International has charged that people are being tortured by police and forced to confess to homosexual acts or to accuse others of such acts.
Last year the European Union withheld aid packages to the small nation over its human rights record.
President Jammeh claimed in a television interview that no dress code would be enforced and promised that people of all religions would be allowed to practice their faith. He continued, “As Muslims are the majority in the country; the Gambia cannot afford to continue the colonial legacy.”
Jammeh withdrew Gambia from the British Commonwealth in 2013 claiming it was a neo-colonial organization.
By Darren Smith
Source: BBC News
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
I am not so concerned with her zealous Zionism. She’s entitled. Just as po is entitled to defend Islam. No, I am offended by her personal vicious attacks upon po, her false accusations, and her religious intolerance which flies in the face of the American values I cherish – tolerance and fairness.
God – you seem to be pretty intolerant yourself.
“Well the angels save us if bam bam represents the superiority of America. Others would describe her rhetoric in much different terms.”
Are you by any chance alluding to her rhetoric’s representing, in the main, all the intellectual and moral nuance and acumen of zealous Zionism?
Speaking of the treatment of women here, I am puzzled by the following comment by the resident PI…
“We see it here every time our resident Muslim deals w/ some of our women here.”
OUR women? OUR women? Are they YOURS? When did you take on ownership?
Most humans would write “…deal w/some of THE women here”. But of course that is too progressive for you.
Love it.
Let’s compare and contrast….
po posts:
To make it easy on everyone, Jammey is a dictator…and possibly, likely insane.
His people do not like him…
His neighbors do not like him.
he claims to be able to cure AIDS and HIV …
His tormenting gays comes after his having tormented everyone.
This is a perfect example of religion being used as a tool of oppression by people who are already criminally insane.
bam bam follows with:
Isn’t that po’s brother? Funny how everything that the US and Israel does merits po’s much expected and eye-crossing long, rambling, incoherent diatribes of derision, yet he will stay mum–absolutely silent–when it comes to the atrocities committed by his own African brothers and sisters on a daily basis. Notice, folks–not a word. In a continent, where slavery still exists and human rights are considered an evil relic of colonial oppressors, po conveniently never mentions the sweltering hell hole from which he emerged and never mentions America’s superiority in every conceivable manner. Instead of kissing the ground here, thankful for the opportunities and freedoms that he receives in the West, he and his CAIR buddies want to turn the US into another one of these stinking, rotten Muslim rat holes. Thank God the people are beginning to awake to the danger within.
What happened there?
po posts additional information on Darren’s subject. po’s information supports Darren’s post. bam bam immediately launches a personal attack upon po and falsely accuses him of positions not taken. Notice further, po is to take on the sins of all his African ‘brothers and sisters’ and neglects to tell us of which ‘sweltering hell hole’ from which he emerged. Additionally, he somehow overlooks her demand that he mention American’s superiority while writing on Gambia.
Well the angels save us if bam bam represents the superiority of America. Others would describe her rhetoric in much different terms.
silly bam, you ought to know that god can’t be confined to a psych unit…nor does he need meds!
I think I realized the problem, bam confuses my posts with his…some sort of deja vu deja vu… he proofreads himself and thinks he is reading my reply to a post he hasn’t sent yet…then he clicks “post”… and then he is aghast of what he reads …then he attacks me for the content of his own post!
Speaking of meds!
Bam Bam
Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam!!!!! Yeah no heat and personal attacks there.
Given the username a few lines above and elsewhere, it appears that the massive egoism of the Dubai de Tocqueville has now been topped.
@Nick Spinelli
1, December 12, 2015 at 5:36 pm
“One of the many reasons Islam is incompatible w/ the West is how they demean, and treat women like slaves. We see it here every time our resident Muslim deals w/ some of our women here. Despicable the way they treat women.”
Please cite some examples, Nick, of “the demeaning of women” by anyone who has posted comments here.
If you can’t, why shouldn’t we interpret your comment above as additional evidence of your striking capacity for projecting your own feelings onto others?
Thank you God, no wonder I worship you, what a just man..uh, woman…uh, being!
One of the many reasons Islam is incompatible w/ the West is how they demean, and treat women like slaves. We see it here every time our resident Muslim deals w/ some of our women here. Despicable the way they treat women.
By the way, karen, the Gambia is tucked into another country…similarly 92% Muslim…where the first president, 20 year long reign, elected by Muslims, was catholic.
The army generals? some catholic.
The Parliament? some catholics, some women, some both.
The ministers? some catholics, some women, some both.
The prime minister? a woman!
That country? Senegal? Most tolerant country on earth. Ranks higher than the US.
known for what? Teranga (tolerance and hospitality).
What do you make of that?
Yes, 92% Muslim!
Yes, 92% Muslim!
Yes, 92% Muslim!
Since I’ve got my dear friend karen here, whom I miss a great deal, I’ll take the opportunity to ask her again to please enlighten us about her views on extremism. Her views are very insightful, and I think we all could use to know and learn from them.
Being a bit shy, she is very reluctant to stand out, but hey, it is for the greater good, especially since she started the conversation.
————————–
karen said to Po:
Do you consider crashing a van deliberately into a civilian bus stop, hitting people, and then jumping out with a knife to stab a woman with a baby a terrorist attack? Yes or now. And this time answer the question.
Po answered:
yes, I do!
Do YOU consider the bombing of hospitals, of schools, of ambulances, the dropping of a missile on 4 kids playing on the beach, the lighting of a sleeping family on fire a terrorist act? Yes or no?
bam bam
1, December 12, 2015 at 2:59 pm
Every word that I wrote about our CAIR -supporting po is the truth, and that is what has his Muslim panties in a bunch. Nuts? Lol! Being called “nuts” by a traitorous and warped individual like po is a compliment. Thanks for making my day. Send my regards to CAIR.
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bambam, since whatever you wrote about CAIR is the truth , then why don’t you prove it? Should be simple enough, right?
Interestingly enough, I knew nothing about CAIR until PAul “Cair is in the white house” started bringing it up…every time.
Bam, how come you are so reluctant to hold a rational and poised debate about our issues?
How come you resort to name calling and debating by proxy?
I challenge you to a debate about any issue of your choice, ANY, where we both answer every question asked, personally, without quoting anyone else.
No?
I understand, I wouldn’t either were I you!
Lol! Threaten them with conversion or death.
bam, what do YOU do for the poor on Christmas?
In light of your role in why there is Easter, You sure should be doing A LOT for the Christian poor 🙂
By the way, we celebrate Christmas.
Decorate the tree, buy the presents, and trying to establish a tradition of going out and doing something for the poor.
It’s getting out of Africa.
It’s Africa, folks.
Po,
Yes. If you’ll forgive the metaphor for a moment; I’m sitting here staring at our undecorated family Christmas tree and this comes to mind. If we place at the top of the tree the knowledge, the belief that every human created, no matter who, what, when, where, how that creation came to be, has the same equal and natural rights as all other humans, then everything that flows from that understanding must secure that belief.
Our Declaration of Independence expresses this principle as a vision for the United States, not as a reality. Our Constitution is the document that is designed to support that principle, that vision. If we can reach that vision we will be what our founding fathers wanted this nation to eventually become. “…in order to form a more perfect Union” is a humble reflection on the fact there is no guarantee we will get there. But if we follow our constitution, guided by the principles laid out in the DoI, then we will be going in the right direction.
So where have we gone wrong? We are no longer a natural rights centered society. Government is at the top of the tree now and our rights, equality, freedom, liberty, and so on are perceived to be not a blessing of our existence but rather a blessing of government. And given the fact that tree of government goes through changes every 2, 4 or 6 years, we end up fighting not over the security of our natural rights but rather who we want sitting at the top of the tree.
Agree with you, Olly…though i tend to call them divine rights.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been speaking the truth about Islam for more than a decade now. That’s why there’s a fatwa against her. The truth is Islam is not compatible w/ Western values and just plain old normalcy.