I’m Sheikh Taal has told religious affairs minister, Hamat Bah, to stop attacking religious leaders and scholars.

Mr Bah has faced backlash after he warned Muslim leaders to stop “inciting conflicts” in their sermons in the country during a customary meeting with Muslim leaders with President Barrow at State House on Eid day.

However, in his Islamic radio talk show on King FM, Sheikh Taal insisted that people with vast knowledge in religion should be appointed as the country’s religious affairs minister.

“A religion affairs minister should be given to someone who learned and knows the religion. But not to a hotelier. Who is he to condition the imams on what to preach? Our imams should watch over him because they are up to something which they don’t reveal.

“There is no imam who goes to the pulpit and insults the government officials. If there is any, then that imam has no Islamic knowledge. This is his second time to attack imams since his appointment and he should be stopped. Gone are those days when you can intimidate people, especially the Imams. So, stop intimidating people,” he said.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba