Cherished Memories of Africa — Page 4
4 Gambia no more! • The Gambia has no neighbours except Senegal and the sea; one has to pass through the Gambia to travel between one regions of Senegal to the other. Religion • About 94 per cent of the population are Muslims, the rest are Christians and adherents of other faiths. • Before the advent of Ahmadiyyat, they were greatly influenced by Christianity as they were ruled by the British. • Most of the educational institutes were run by the Christians. Therefore, most of the students had two names – a Muslim name and a Christian name given by the administration at the time of admission to the school. • Compared to other countries, they are less afflicted by many evils because of blessings of Islam • Common sects in the country are Tijaniyyah, Muridiyyah, Qadiriyyah and some organisations sponsored by some Arab countries. • Faith is bonded with the seats and courts of well-known spiritual guides ( pirs ) and Muslim organisations in Senegal. • These days Iran has also launched their programme of building madrasas and mosques to counter the Saudi block. Gambia River • The reason why this small, little known piece of land became the centre of extra-ordinary attraction for some major nations was this Gambia River and its exceptional position. • The river is 1,130 kilometres (700 mi) long • It originates from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea Conakry