(JollofNews) – A senior Islamic cleric in the Gambia has called for the expulsion of Ahmadis and a complete ban on its teaching in the country.

Alhaji Abdoulie Fatty, who is also the imam of President Yahya Jammeh’s State House mosque, said members of the Gambia Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at are non-Muslims and should not be allowed to mislead the Muslim community in the Gambia.

“Ahmadiyyas are not Muslims,” Imam said in an interview with the private Standard Newspaper in Banjul.

“The facts that they say, ‘there is no supreme being but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger’ should not mislead any Gambian. The head of hypocrites Abdullahi Ibn Salul used to pray behind the prophet but Allah said he is in the lowest depths of hell. I mean to address our fellow Gambians who found their parents on the religion of Islam but Pakistanis have come to them and convinced them that Prophet Muhammad is not the last messenger. They have now abandoned the way they found their parents; now seeing them as non-believers. If death befalls their family member who is not an Ahmadi they do not observe funeral prayer for them. Even if it is their own father they will never pray for him.”

The Saudi Arabia educated cleric said the Ahmadis came to the Gambia during the time of Governor Sir Farimang Singhateh, who due to his ignorance allowed them to settle in the country. Their numbers have since grown into thousands especially in the North Bank Region of the country.

The cleric added; “They have registered and got centres in this county using Islam to propagate their faith. They are using the name of Islam and we will never let that continue because we will never sit idly watching while pests destroy your farm.

“Islamic propagation is our farm and we will always seek to protect it. Despite the fact that they have hospitals and schools around the country they should be banned. President Jammeh has built enough schools and hospitals which will adequately serve people without them. Even in Pakistan they are referred to as non-Muslim minority which shows they are not Muslims. These people are in pursuit of fitna (evil) anywhere they go.

In Kerr Mahmut Fana there was a big problem there involving Ahmadis and the people which we had to mediate. You should have seen how defiant they were. Allah urges us to hold onto His rope and not be divided among ourselves but these people reject Muhammad’s conclusion of prophet-hood. Prophet Muhammad said his followers will split into 73 sects and out of that only one will go to paradise which will be the followers of his path.”