An open letter to the Gambian Government and fellow Gambians

By a concern Gambian in the Diaspora

The acceptance of mediocrity.

Alhamdulillah, I was able to perform Hajj this year, and I would like to share my observations.

First, I must commend the Gambian women, especially for their efforts to help each other during this journey. The camaraderie and genuine support were outstanding to witness. I also deeply appreciated our level of cleanliness compared to women from other nations. Masha’Allah.

The Hajj Committee

I embarked upon Hajj this year, and what I experienced has left me questioning a lot of things. From my understanding, everything was handled directly by the Hajj Committee, leaving the travel agencies with little to no control.

·           Muzdalifah ( part of the pillars of Hajj):The committee informed the pilgrims on Saturday that the Gambian contingent would not be spending the night at Muzdalifah. Instead, we were told the buses taking us from Arafat would stop for an hour so pilgrims could pray, collect their stones, and leave. This time limit was later slashed to just 10 minutes. What was the reasoning behind this decision, especially considering that Muzdalifah is one of the essential pillars of Hajj?

·           The Food: Hajj is a physically demanding journey. Even young, fit adults struggle, so imagine the toll it takes on the elderly. The food provided was so poor that most people chose not to eat it at all. On Eid day, the dinner served was completely unacceptable. Why does the committee believe Gambians do not deserve proper meals to sustain their strength? Why are you comfortable providing substandard services when The Gambia is one of the few countries that does not subsidise Hajj? Furthermore, why were we given charity food packages for breakfast—the exact same ones anyone who has been to Saudi Arabia for Umrah knows are distributed as free charity? How can Gambians pray for their country when they don’t even have the physical strength to stand properly?

·           The Mina Tents: We were told that being in Zone 2 meant “VIP” treatment. If VIP means sleeping in tents that smell of raw sewage—as if we were sleeping directly over a soakaway septic tank—then the label fits. VIP apparently means sleeping on mats that looked like they were discarded by the Saudi people and accepted by us as charity. It meant sharing toilets with other nationals who treated Gambians with utter disrespect. Some Gambians noted that our camp was better than other African camps that were in terrible condition, but “better than the worst” shouldn’t be our standard just because we are labeled VIP.

Transportation and Medical Services
The logistics were a disaster. Buses were hired with drivers who did not know the routes, resulting in pilgrims getting lost for six hours.

When it was time to leave Mina, we were told only two buses were available to transport the entire Gambian contingent back to Mecca. The younger pilgrims were told to either walk or pay for their own transportation. But even though many of us paid for our own rides, the elderly were left behind in the tents with absolutely no food. Anyone who sent a relative this year should ask them to speak honestly about what they endured. (Unfortunately, culturally, people often think that if you admit Hajj was difficult, it is because of your sins. Astaghfirullah).

The bus that was scheduled to arrive at 10:00 AM did not show up until 7:00 PM. It took a single, kind Gambian man going around to source food out of his own pocket to feed the stranded elderly pilgrims who were left waiting.

To the Gambian doctors who accompanied the pilgrims: Are you sure you are doctors? Where is your empathy and compassion? In one instance, an elderly lady who could not walk down to the medical area requested a room visit, but the doctor flatly refused and demanded she be brought down. In another instance, a doctor treating a patient completely lost focus the moment his boss walked into the room, abandoning proper protocol just to chat with him.

To Gambian Men
The women of The Gambia are not your enemies. There is nothing wrong with being a gentleman and protecting the women of your community. There is nothing wrong with allowing women to board the elevator or the bus first. Seeing how Senegalese men and men from other nations surrounded and shielded their women during Tawaf so they wouldn’t be crushed brought tears to my eyes. A woman willingly respects men who act as protectors and leaders. If you see our women acting hardened or taking the lead, it is purely out of survival.

To Gambian Women
We must be more intentional and disciplined in our actions toward one another. When you see a queue, please join the back of it; do not cut the line as if other people’s time is worthless. When eating in communal spaces, let us be civilised and mindful that others need to eat too. Most importantly, please practice proper bathroom etiquette. If you are unfamiliar with the types of modern facilities provided, watch, ask, and learn from those around you.

To All Gambians
We all love the beautiful tradition of sending our parents and relatives to Hajj. Masha’Allah, that is commendable. However, based on Islamic guidance, you should not send someone to Hajj if you have not performed it yourself, or if you cannot accompany them. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a son or daughter performing Hajj alongside their aging parents to guide them.

It was heartbreaking to see elderly Gambians looking completely lost with no one to care for them. I saw an elderly lady who didn’t know which floor she was staying on, riding the elevator up and down continuously. While many of us helped as much as we could, Hajj is ultimately a deeply personal spiritual journey; pilgrims cannot spend their entire time acting as full-time caretakers, even if there is immense reward in doing so.

Please, if you are sending your elderly parents, travel with them or hire a dedicated companion to look after them. Many of our elderly couldn’t even visit the holy sites due to a lack of guidance and companionship. I am 40 years old and spend two hours at the gym every day, and yet this experience was incredibly physically taxing for me. If you had experienced Hajj yourself, you would never send your elderly parents alone. Guaranteed.

To Mr. President (H.E. Adama Barrow)
Being a good leader requires making hard, uncomfortable decisions. If you study successful leaders, their number one rule is always to hire the right people for the right places at the right time. The position you hold is an Amanah (a sacred trust) from Allah, and you will one day stand before Him to answer for your leadership. Remember the profound truth: Allah can forgive the sins committed against Him, but He does not forgive the wrongs committed against fellow human beings until those people forgive you. Are you willing to risk your hereafter for the sake of political friendships?

The absolute minimum you should have done during the tragic cough syrup scandal was fire the responsible Minister. Being loyal to your friends cannot come at the expense of the lives of the Gambian people. You can give your friends personal access to you, but do not give them the power to govern the public if they are incompetent—even if they were once labeled the “best surgeon in the USA” or elsewhere.

The rampant corruption within your administration is mirroring the dark governance of the past ( Jammeh). The insecurity in the country, the failing infrastructure (building substandard roads that don’t last a year is not an achievement), the collapse of healthcare, and the rise of poverty all point to a severe lack of leadership.

Do not cling to power when you lack the basic empathy required to address a suffering nation. What kind of president addresses his citizens on national television and callously states that “only 40” children died? What president goes on TV and fails to acknowledge the daily pain people endure due to the lack of basic electricity? What leader allows prices to skyrocket unchecked during the holy month of Ramadan, or allows the head of the National Assembly to sow bitter division among the Gambian people? Please, do not run for another term.

Final Reflection
Fellow Gambians, Allah reminds us in the Qur’an:
“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”(Surah Ar-Ra’d 13:11)

You are either part of the problem or part of the solution; there is no middle ground. The cultural concept of Maslaha (compromise/appeasement) must be dropped when it is inappropriate. It can no longer be used as an excuse to tolerate corruption and incompetence.

I want to use this opportunity to thank the agencies that went above and beyond for their pilgrims! May Allah reward you and ease you as you eased your pilgrims. Ameen