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Gambia News : Gambian leader highlights plight of Muslims, blames western misconceptions

In strongly-worded comments, President Jammeh deplored the failure of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the United Nations to help alleviate the plight of the Palestinians whom he said had been deprived of their lands, means of livelihood and even their right to movement.

He said as recent as 2005, the Palestinians were assured of an independent state of their own, but he lamented the fact that up to now, it has not been put into effect. He blamed it on Israeli machinations and with the support of certain western powers.

Jammeh further lamented the fate of the Palestinians as that of a “people living in hell”. He lambasted Israel for denying the Palestinians access to even food aid sent to them by the international community, as well as access to their own lands.

¨President Jammeh went on to decry the way in which death and destruction was being resorted to by religious extremists, describing Islam as a religion of peace and compassion which values the sanctity of life and the need to safeguard property.

Jammeh was also critical of the western media which he accused of calling western racists skin-heads as nationalists and rightists, while being quick to describe Islamist extremists as terrorists. He called on the Muslims to united and end the in-fighting which he said holds back their progress.

Jammeh concluded by describing Africa as being more divided today than ever before. He called for an end to the numerous conflicts and tribal wars in order to make better use of the continent’s resources for the benefit of its peoples.