There is a hypothesis that a literate culture is an enlightened culture that is free from ignorance. It is anticipated that the higher the level of literacy the more people will be interested in reading, writing and engaging in the expression of opinion and debate. The evidence gathered by Foroyaa is that opinion tends to lead more towards politics of insult in the social media rather than looking at issues of significance such as state building and the livelihoods and liberty of the citizenry. Foroyaa is trying to change the trend by introducing supplements to give new insights on issues of national importance.
The first two supplements, the first one dated 23rd August 2023 and the second dated 31st October, 2023, are devoted to the constitution building process which is now riddled with controversies. Foroyaa has tried to address the controversy and generate a new conversation on the constitution building process. The publication of 23rd August was designed to explain the fate of the draft constitution of the CRC and how a bill to start a new process could be brought to the National Assembly.
The second publication dated 31st October, 2023, was designed to keep in sight the debate that Christians and Muslims had on the issue of sharia in the draft Constitution and secular state as well as the issue of same sex marriage; citizenship for those whose parents were not born in the Gambia and other controversial issues that the CRC encountered during its consultation exercise.
Since its publication Foroyaa has not received any opinions expressed by Christian and Muslim scholars, neither from those who claimed that the Constitution promoted same sex marriage or those who felt the CRC has not dealt with the case of stateless persons who were born in the Gambia but whose parents were not born in The Gambia.
Foroyaa has issued a publication where Halifa Sallah has expressed concrete views on all these subjects so that we do not wait until there is a referendum to initiate conversation on such subjects without sufficient enlightenment. We therefore hope that readers will read these views on the constitution and state their opinion so that before a referendum is held all Gambians will be on the same page.
One may contact the Foroyaa office if they have missed this publication. The debate continues unabated.
