limited has altered since country’s name changed to reflect its identity,but critics warn of the risks of mixing Islamism with poverty and repressionIt may be the world’s newest Islamic state, but on the Gambia’s beaches it was business as normal. Dreadlocked, or muscular young men offered their company to middle-aged female tourists,the sweet scent of marijuana hung on the ocean breeze, bars advertised happy hour cocktails, or bared breasts turned pink in near-equatorial sunshine.
Few of those escaping the cold and damp of a northern European winter appeared to be aware of President Yahya Jammeh’s surprise proclamation final month that the tiny African country he has ruled with an iron grip for more than 20 years would henceforth be known as the Islamic Republic of the Gambia. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com