President Adama Barrow has warned against religious extremism while calling for tolerance, peace, unity and development in the Gambia.

The president made the call in his annual Christmas address to the nation. 

“I called on all to embrace our religious values in our daily interactions, but be mindful of religious extremism. Indeed, religion has divided communities without excluding those who serve the same religious belief,” he said.

“Religious practice implies understanding one’s responsibilities and duties which should lead to one’s role in the society without harming anyone else. Crime, injustice, and the suffering experience often arise from disregards of social values, the law and the attitude that religion promotes.

“Effectively harnessing religion for peace, unity and development requires that we educate ourselves better and use our various institutions for these purposes. We must also focus on our common grounds within which we can all operate productively without chaos,” he added.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba