Islam is the major religion in

the Gambia The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...

, representing 95% of the 2 million population, with the first Muslim communities in the country arriving in 11th century. Islam has therefore had an influence on the Gambia throughout history, and continues to impact its culture, society and politics. The majority of The Gambia's Muslims are Sunni belonging to the

Maliki The ( ar, مَالِكِي) school is one of the four major schools of Islamic jurisprudence within Sunni Islam. It was founded by Malik ibn Anas in the 8th century. The Maliki school of jurisprudence relies on the Quran and hadiths as primary ...

school of

jurisprudence Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning a ...

, influenced with Sufism. There is a smaller

Shiite Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...

community, largely stemming form Lebanese and Arab migration. The

Ahmadiyya Ahmadiyya (, ), officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community or the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ, ar, الجماعة الإسلامية الأحمدية, al-Jamāʿah al-Islāmīyah al-Aḥmadīyah; ur, , translit=Jamā'at Aḥmadiyyah Musl ...

movement is also present. Other religious societies exist in the country, including Catholics, Protestants,

Hindus Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

and Traditional African religions.

History

Early history

Evidence of Islam in the Gambia exists from as early as the 11th century, stemming from the arrival of North African Muslim merchants. Following centuries of increasing influence, especially brought on by Islamic scholars, Islam became the major religion in the country in the 19th century. The Soninke-Marabout wars (1850), a series of jihads, led by the Marabou Islamists resulted in most of the Soninke Gambians (the traditional religious adherents) converting to Islam.

British Occupation

In the early 20th century, the influence of Islam continued under

British occupation The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

. In 1905, British rule granted the establishment of an Islamic court and appointed a

Qadi A qāḍī ( ar, قاضي, Qāḍī; otherwise transliterated as qazi, cadi, kadi, or kazi) is the magistrate or judge of a '' sharīʿa'' court, who also exercises extrajudicial functions such as mediation, guardianship over orphans and mino ...

official to hear the cases of Gambian Muslims. The Islamic courts ensured a formalised justice system, especially when compared to the traditional, pre-colonial court procedures, which were far less codified. However, the

Supreme Court of the Gambia The Supreme Court of the Gambia is a superior court of record and the highest court in The Gambia. Established in 1851, it has appellate and original jurisdiction over any law exceeding the powers conferred by the Constitution or any law upon th ...

, controlled by British colonials, did on some occasions overturn decisions made by the Qadi.

1965–present

The Gambia gained independence from British rule in 1965, initially as a constitutional monarchy, before becoming a republic within the

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...

in 1970. The country has remained secular in principle. It has only been served by three presidents since 1970, namely, Sir

Dawda Jawara Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara (16 May 1924 – 27 August 2019) was a Gambian politician who served as Prime Minister from 1962 to 1970, and then as the first President of the Gambia from 1970 to 1994. Jawara was born in Barajally, MacCarthy Island ...

(1970 – 1994),

Yahya Jammeh Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh (born 25 May 1965) is a Gambian politician and former military officer who was the leader of The Gambia from 1994 to 2017, firstly as chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) from 199 ...

(1994 – 2017) and

Adama Barrow Adama Barrow ( ff, 𞤀𞥄𞤣𞤢𞤥𞤢 𞤄𞤢𞥄𞤪𞤮, Aadama Baaro, born 15 February 1965) is a Gambian politician and real estate developer who has served as President of the Gambia since 2017. Born in Mankamang Kunda, a village ...

(2017 – present). Gambia_President_Yahya_Jammeh_Portrait

Jawara became the country's first president in 1970, after serving as prime minister from 1962, when the country was granted self-governance (before full independence). Following his death in 2019, he was recognised by the

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

for “promoting tolerance, human rights and the rule of law”. Jawara was born a Muslim, although converted to Christianity in 1955, before reconverting back to Islam in 1965. Jawara's presidency came to an end in 1994, following a successful coup d’état, led by Yahya Jammeh, who subsequently led the country until 2017 as a dictator. Under his dictatorship, the country was declared an “Islamic republic” in 2015, although this was reversed in 2017 by the then new president,

Culture

The Gambia has a diverse array of traditional cultural practices, stemming from the various ethnic groups that make up the population. The country maintains strong links to traditional music, such as the

sabar The sabar is a traditional drum from Senegal that is also played in the Gambia. It is associated with Wolof and Serer people.Domodah. However, Islam has influenced some cultural practices. Sabar-Lamb

Dress code

Despite declaring the Gambia an “Islamic republic”, in 2015, the then President Jammeh, maintained that no dress code would be enforced and that citizens would still have the right to practice any religion freely. However, one month after the statement was made, Jammeh placed stricter regulations on clothing, “order ngfemale government employees to wear headscarves at work”. He then reversed the directive, lifting the dress code restriction shortly after it was imposed.

Marriage

The Gambia, in line with Islamic

Sharia law Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the Five Pillars of Islam, religious precepts of Islam and is based on the Islamic holy books, sacred scriptures o ...

, allows the practice of

polygamy Crimes Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is married ...

. Both ex-President Jammeh and current President Barrow have practiced polygamy. In 2016, Jammeh announced a ban on

child marriage Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, between a child under a certain age – typically 18 years – and an adult or another child. * * * * The vast majority of child marriages are between a female child and a ma ...

s, a practice that is not outlawed by Islamic law. At the time of the announcement, 30% of girls under the age of 18 were married.

Depictions in popular culture

Islam in the Gambia has had minimal coverage in popular, western culture, however, was portrayed in Alex Haley's 1976 novel, ''Roots: The Saga of an American Family'', the subsequent miniseries, ''Roots,'' and the film ''Roots: The Gift''. The story's plot focuses on Haley's great-great-great-great-grandfather,

Kunta Kinte Kunta Kinte ( – ; ) is a character in the 1976 novel '' Roots: The Saga of an American Family'' by American author Alex Haley. Kunta Kinte was based on one of Haley's ancestors, a Gambian man who was born around 1750, enslaved, and taken to ...

, a Gambian Muslim born in 1750. Kunta is presented as having had an idyllic childhood, educated in Islam, before being captured in 1767, and sold into slavery in Virginia. The novel tells the story of Kunta's life in enslavement, a key aspect of which was his Islamic faith, which throughout the novel, never leaves him. Despite criticism over the historical accuracy of Haley's research, the novel has played an important part in investigating African and Islamic history in America. In ''The Oxford Companion to African American Literature,'' the impact of Kunta Kinte is assessed:

"Roots provoked a renewed interest by Americans in their own genealogy and instilled a new pride for African Americans about their African history"

Society

Education

The role of Islam in Gambian society was evident even during colonial rule, specifically through the creation of an Islamic school, the ‘Muhammadan School’, which combined both Islamic and Western pedagogies. Indeed, since independence, numerous Islamic schools of thought have established educational institutions. Islam's impact on education was further demonstrated in 1990, when the national curriculum included Islamic studies as a compulsory subject.

Social issues

Women's rights

In 2015, President Jammeh, announced a ban on

female genital mutilation Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...

, stating that the practice was not required in Islam. At the time of the announcement it was estimated that 76% of Gambian women had had the procedure. The following year, Jammeh announced a ban on child marriage, a practice that is not outlawed in Islamic law. At the time of the announcement, 30% of girls under the age of 18 were married.

LGBT rights

Homosexual activity Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

is illegal in the Gambia and there is no legal recognition of

same-sex relationship A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries w ...

s. In 2008, Jammeh instructed gay and lesbians to leave the country, and said that he would “cut off the head” of any gay man found in the Gambia. With regard to the impact of Islam on the rights of the

LGBT community The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay men, gay, bisexuality, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a comm ...

, Jammeh was quoted as saying “The Gambia is a country of believers… sinful and immoral practices

uch as Uch ( pa, ; ur, ), frequently referred to as Uch Sharīf ( pa, ; ur, ; ''"Noble Uch"''), is a historic city in the southern part of Pakistan's Punjab province. Uch may have been founded as Alexandria on the Indus, a town founded by Alexand ...

homosexuality will not be tolerated.” He made similar comments in 2015, warning that he would “slit your throat” if you were found to be homosexual in the Gambia.

Broader society

In her book, ''‘Culture, Religion, & Democracy in The Gambia: Perspectives from Before and After the 2016 Gambian Presidential Election’'' , Alieuh B. Sanneh explores the relationship between religion and culture and the importance of these two concepts in informing a society. Specifically, Sanneh writes, “The Gambia has demonstrated an intricate pattern of blending cultural practices with Islamic religious beliefs”. This is demonstrated by the incorporation of a traditional xiin drum, similar to the sabar, into the culture of the Baye Fall subsect of the

Mouride The Mouride brotherhood ( wo, yoonu murit, ar, الطريقة المريدية ''aṭ-Ṭarīqat al-Murīdiyyah'' or simply , ''al-Murīdiyyah'') is a large ''tariqa'' ( Sufi order) most prominent in Senegal and The Gambia with headquarters in ...

Islamists in the Gambia and Senegal, as adherents play it whilst walking the streets and begging for alms. However, the Gambia has also demonstrated a sense of societal independence from Islam, demonstrated by the response to Jammeh's aforementioned dress code directive in 2016, in which women were told to wear headscarves in the workplace. Notably, the directive was lifted after resistance from within Gambian society, including, activists and pro-democracy groups. The role of Islam in Gambian society is not fixed and often depends on the individual. In Marloes Janson's monograph, ''‘Islam, Youth and Modernity in the Gambia: the Tablighi Jama’at,'' the author writes about the influence of the Tablighji Jama’at (an Islamic missionary movement).

''“Secular oriented youth… condemn the jama’at... because it prevents them from pursuing a youthful lifestyle…because it leaves them with a sense of guilt at not being able to live up to Islamic principles. Moreover… the Jama‘at stands for a ‘foreign’ form of Islam that does not fit with local culture and traditions."''

Islamic movements

Ahmadiyya

The Gambia has historically been viewed as a society that is receptive to people of different religious faiths. As a result, other religious movements, such as the Ahmadiyya Islamic missionary movement have experienced some prominence in the country and success with regards to gaining adherents. An example of such prominence, is the fact that the Ahmadis were the first Muslims in West Africa to set up schools that taught both religious perspectives as well as providing secular education. The Ahmadiyya movement's rise in prominence was especially visible in the 1960s. Sir

Farimang Mamadi Singateh Al Hajj Sir Farimang Mamadi Singhateh, GCMG (10 November 1912 – 19 May 1977) was the second and last Governor-General of the Gambia, representing Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. Succeeding Sir John Warburton Paul, who had previously be ...

, (1912-1977) was president of the Gambia's Ahmadiyya community. He became the first Ahmadi to serve as the head of any state or colony, following his appointment as the second and last

Governor-General of the Gambia This is a list of the heads of state of the Gambia, from the independence of the Gambia in 1965 to the present day. From 1965 to 1970 the head of state under the Constitution of 1965 was the queen of the Gambia, Elizabeth II, who was also the ...

, after the country was granted independence within the

as a constitutional monarchy in 1965. Despite the prominence of Ahmadiyya in The Gambia, the religious movement has not been accepted across all regions of Gambian society. In a separate interview conducted in her 2013 monograph,''‘Islam,Youth and Modernity in the Gambia: the Tablighi Jama’at,'' Janson spoke to a Gambian man who, "decided to become an Ahmadi, much to the dissatisfaction of his relatives, most of whom broke off contact with him." In 2014, one year after Janson published ''‘Islam,Youth and Modernity in the Gambia: the Tablighi Jama’at','' then President Jammeh's personal advisor and an Imam of the State House of the Gambia, Abdoulie Fatty called for the expulsion of Ahmadi Muslims and Ahmadiyya teachings in the Gambia to be banned. Shortly after his comments were made, Fatty was dismissed as Imam of the state house, although insisted that his dismissal was unrelated to the statements he made regarding Ahmadis. The following year, in 2015, the Supreme Islamic Council of the Gambia declared Ahmadiddya non-Muslim. Some reports suggested that Jammeh may have been interested in claiming the movement's assests, including its numerous schools and hospitals, such as the large-scale hospital in Tallinding, Serrekunda.

Tablighi Jamaat

The Tablighi Jammat is an Islamic missionary movement that has experienced prominence in the Gambia, having first reached the country in the 1990s. In particular, the movement has appealed to youth in the Gambia, specifically middle-class Gambians in their twenties, who were secularly educated.Janson, Marloes. (2006). The Prophet’s Path Tablighi Jamaat in The Gambia. p.47 Marloes Janson claims that the movement "provides Gambian youth with a new sense of belonging in that they see themselves as part of a global movement." As the Jamaat stems from South Asia, the Tablighi has resulted in a mergence of South Asian and West African cultures, especially as Pakistani preachers played a key role in starting the movement in the Gambia. A further impact of the Tablighi Jaamat, claims Janson could be a rebellion of young Muslims in Gambia against the older adherents of traditional Islamic schools of thought.

Politics and judiciary

Domestic

Since gaining independence in 1965, the Gambia has been governed by 3 presidents, all of whom have been Muslims. Islam has thus had a significant impact on internal politics in the country, although to varying degrees, in an otherwise secular society. Islam has impacted the judicial system of the Gambia since British colonial rule. The presence of Qadis (Islamic magistrates) in Muslim courts during colonialism recognised the importance of Islam in the domestic issues of Gambian Muslims. Sir

, (1912-1977) became the first Ahmadi Muslim to serve as the head of any state or colony, following his appointment as the second and last

, after the country was granted independence as a constitutional monarchy in 1965. Ex-president Jammeh's personal advisor Abdoulie Fatty, appointed shortly after his inauguration, was a Muslim scholar. Jammeh also built

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

s in state institutions and had verses of the

Qur’an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...

inscribed on public buildings. The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council, was established in 1992. It promotes Islamic ideals and sets the dates of Islamic holidays in the country.

Foreign affairs

Following Jammeh's military coup in 1994, many Western nations, including the U.S, cut their financial support of the Gambia temporarily. As a result, Islamic, Middle Eastern states established stronger ties with the country.

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...

, in particular, is known to have funded an array of services, such as mosques, schools and hospitals. In 2019, the Gambia filed a case against Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya Muslim population to the UN, accusing the country of genocide. The Gambia is also a member of the

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...

References

{{Africa in topic, Islam in Religion in the Gambia