Africa-Press – Gambia. The Supreme Islamic Council visited and held a meeting with the National Assembly Select Committee on Religious Affairs about the possible introduction of a bill to establish Waqf in The Gambia.
Waqf is a concept through which endowments are made by Muslims for charitable or religious purposes, such as building mosques, schools, hospitals or other public institutions.
The concept is already working in Senegal and many other places.
Dr Burama LG Jammeh, a member of the finance committee of the Supreme Islamic Council said countries like Senegal, Guinea and Saudi Arabia are members of ‘Waqf’ which has enabled them to benefit from various development programmes and projects.
Dr Jammeh lamented that currently, government is not paying for Islamic education in madrasas, ‘but when we have Waqf in The Gambia, it will be able to cover up the madrasas.’
He said they have just completed a study tour in Senegal to assess legal, institutional and operational frameworks for Waqf for possible replication in The Gambia.
According to Dr Jammeh, the lessons they learnt from their visit to Senegal is for the enactment of a comprehensive Waqf Law, to pave way for the establishment of an independent and empowered Waqf Authority that will be a stronger inter-agency of collaboration and building trust through transparency and Islamic legitimacy.
He further said the recommendations they came up with is to draft and table a National Waqf Bill and sensitise policymakers and community leaders and lawmakers to support the Waqf Law and provide budgetary provisions for it.
Also speaking in support of the concept, Imam Hamat Jaiteh, assistant secretary general of English Language Affairs at Supreme Islamic Council, said when Waqf is established in The Gambia, the country might not even have beggars because a country with just three million people should not be facing this much poverty. He therefore urged lawmakers to fast track the establishment of Waqf.
The chairperson of the National Assembly Select Committee on Religious Affiairs Hon Sulayman Jammeh agreed that the concept is an important initiative and it will reduce the burden on government.
“We will do our best to make sure this bill is supported when it comes to the Assembly,” he assured.
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