ADHERANCE TO THE PRINCIPLES OF A SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC IS THE WAY TO KEEP NATIONAL UNITY

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If all US, GERMAN, FRENCH, BRITISH, IRAQI SYRIAN, GAMBIAN, etc.
citizens see themselves as the depository of the sovereignty of their
countries, all would be equal in citizenship. One’s colour, gender, religion, ethno-linguistic origin would be as insignificant as the
colour of one’s eye. Hence, each would have an equal sense of
belonging to a Nation and no one would feel that one belongs to a
minority because of exercising the freedom of association to belong to
a religion, etc. Each would be free to promote one’s belief and
practice it without suffering any discrimination. The Gambia could be
a bastion of secularism underpinned by commitment to the principle of
sovereign equality of citizens with diverse backgrounds.

In many parts of the world hopeless and helpless people facing the
adversities of life are given short sighted reasons why they are
marginalised and are made to turn their anger against innocent people
like themselves by perpetrating violence against them because of their
gender, religion, place of origin and ethno-linguistic consideration.

This world is a world of the people. Those who want to make it a world
of the few become intolerant and must commit physical, mental or
cultural genocide to exist. That type of existence has no future. It
gives rise to failed states and failed people.