Hundreds of Mouride followers have staged a rally in Banjul to condemn Gambian cleric Imam Abdul Kareem Kuyateh, who described the annual Magal Touba pilgrimage as un-Islamic.

Imam Kuyateh stirred controversy after warning that anyone who dies while attending the religious gathering would “go to hell.”

Mouride followers in The Gambia and Senegal have since denounced the comments, filing a complaint with police.

The cleric was invited to police headquarters in Banjul on Monday for mediation, where he was accompanied by hundreds of Ahlu Sunnah supporters, including senior clerics.

On Tuesday, Mourides dressed in multicoloured religious attire gathered outside the police headquarters, chanting God’s name.

A spokesman for the group urged calm while criticising the Imam.

“We’ve been offended by the Imam. But we don’t want chaos. We only want peace in this country, which is why our leaders have engaged the authorities,” he said.

Another Mouride, Musa Ceesay, accused the Imam of hypocrisy.

“We are offended at being accused of associating partners with God,” he said, questioning why the cleric had not criticised Saudi authorities for allegedly hosting music festivals.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Supreme Islamic Council have since apologised to the Mouride community, assuring them of respect for their religious practices.

The Ministry also issued a warning that it would not tolerate comments likely to threaten peace and harmony in the country.

By Adama Makasuba