January 2006:

The President Alhaji Dr. Yahya Jammeh was among millions of Muslims who performed the fifth essential or pillar of Islam, the Hajj in the Holy City of Mecca, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. President Jammeh was received upon arrival in the Holy City of Medina on January 5th by Members of the Saudi Royal Establishment. While in Medina , the President performed several rounds of prayers at the main Mosque and also went on pilgrimage to several important shrines and Monuments of Islam in and around the Holy City . From Medina , the President and delegation proceeded to the Holy City of Mecca for the Hajj which began on Sunday January 8th 2006. From Mecca , the President went to Minna, outside Mecca for more Hajj rituals. While in Minna, President Jammeh joined other leaders performing the Hajj at a dinner by His Royal Highness King Abdoulai Bin Abdul Aziz at the Minna Palace .

Back in Mecca , the President received in audience, a delegation of the Gambia National Hajj Committee led by the Annir-Ul-Hajj Alhaji Kebba Landing Sanyang. The Hajj Committee members informed the President that they were there to thank him for his generosity, having sponsored more than four hundred Gambians, nearly a third of the Gambian pilgrim quota to perform the Hajj.

In a brief statement, the President implored Gambians and Muslims in particular to be God fearing and make a clear distinction between polities and religion. Dr Jammeh deplored the conduct of certain elements in Gambian society whose political instincts have driven them into cuts of detraction, betrayals and outright greed. The President said such people have been spreading lies and unfounded information in order to deceive Gambian all for political expediency. He said such people have chosen a collision path with Allah. The President cited a case in point where detractors spread unfounded stories, suggests that he had personally hijacked the 2006 Hajj contract from the national airline carrier G.I.A for financial gains purporting that to have been responsible for the delays in departures to the Holy Land . The President questioned the rationales and logic of such information when he personally spends a fortune to enable Gambians to fulfill one of their most essential religions obligations. Dr. Jammeh warned Gambian to be aware of the plays and machinations of such elements in society whose only intention is to gain political capital at all cost. President Jammeh and delegation returned home on Saturday January 9th after performing the Ummah and Hajj.