Saul, I also join you and urge Hamjatta to cease-fire. I do that for the
same reason I don't criticize Mr. Sallah or any opposition leader for that
matter. Hamjatta is a very important component of the struggle against Yaya
(not Sallah). As you say, differences with Sallah can be settled in due
course. I had formerly subscribed to the idea of a debate because I thought
that would safe us from having the exchange on G_L. Am not sure about a
debate anymore; especially one to be arranged by Mr. Mboge. So, I
respecfully urge Hamjatta to move on.
KB


>From: saul khan <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: On Programmed Fanatics
>Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2000 23:44:21 GMT
>
>Hamjatta,
>
>I found your last piece very stimulating -intellectually. And like Halifa
>pointed out, one may totally disagree with what you have to say, but you
>sure know how to get people on their toes. In general, we agree more than
>we
>disagree about PDOIS and Halifa vis-a-vis Yaya Jammeh. But having just read
>Halifa's reply, I think you should let the gentleman go. Just cease fire.
>This is simply because, they(PDOIS)are engaged in more things than politics
>as pointed out by Halifa. When I met Halifa last May, I was struck by how
>much older than his age he looks. I suppose the gentleman sleeps very
>little
>for the fact that he's trying to do a thousand and one things at once:
>school admn, Foroyaa running, Letters to xyz, etc. To be honest, I really
>wonder how the man juggles all that act. There are some things that one
>simply cannot fake. Nothing precipitates quick aging than stress. So, from
>a
>personal stand point, there's no need to add to that unless one has to.
>
>So what next? Do what I did! When I met Halifa in DC, we agreed to disagree
>on the issues where we don't see eye-to-eye, and move on. It's for that
>reason that I resolved to abstain from distracting him. He really has more
>important things to do. Let's just accept the fact that we have different
>views of Yaya Jammeh and how to deal with him. Let Halifa continue his
>quest
>his way, and some of us who are clearly less patient/tolerant can find
>other
>appropriate outlets. Maybe, some day when you've graduated, and Halifa is a
>co-prof at Gambia University, we'll have the chance to witness a fruitful
>debate on national TV. Nothing would be more stimulating. But right now,
>the
>timing is simply not right. Even as I write this, Yaya Jammeh's boys are
>out
>terrorizing citizens for no reason. Who knows what sad news we'll read in
>tomorrow morning's papers? So, in the scheme of things, we're spending too
>much time on the one dollar issue when the one Million dollar one is
>waiting.
>
>And regarding the debate, I thought it was a joke from the word "go." I
>mean, what is there to accomplish? You're talking about a few hours meeting
>(two, three, fours hours? The sure thing you can bet your life on is that
>when they say "come at 2pm," most of the audience -probably including some
>of the main proponents, would not show up until 3:30pm.) So Halifa takes an
>hour, and you take an hour. Meanwhile, the owners of the hall/venue are
>getting impatient b/c the meeting was to have ended two hours ago! Get my
>point? But, basically get this: anybody who isn't convinced by any of you
>to
>side with you after all these exchanges, won't be convinced by a few hours
>debate. And that is for the fence-sitters. From what I'm seeing, most of
>the
>people planning to attend have already chosen sides! So, this debate is
>nothing but an "event" that would offer them the opportunity to reinforce
>whatever preconceptions they already have. Read the transcript of Nelson
>Mandela's Rivonia trial in the early 60s vis-a-vis the judge's role, and
>you'll get my point. The verdict is already set. And I mean on both sides.
>Like most debates, each debator's supporters in this one, will be looking
>for inconsistencies in the other's utterances. Hardly anything will change.
>So, why not just meet the gentleman and have a thorough one-on-one, to
>establish/disagree on some things?
>
>On the L, most issues get blown out of proportions, or taken out of context
>in my view. Like Halifa alluded to, it's not fair to paint him, or diehard
>PDOIS supporters into neat little boxes. The man is a little more complex
>than that, and some of the diehards aren't that simple. But equally, it's
>unfair for the supporters to dismiss you as someone who just jumps up to
>criticize baselessly. These are both very convenient ways of examining
>rather complex issues. Your views regarding Halifa's treatment of Yaya
>-especially, are not totally wacky. I'll give you a first hand example.
>
>When I was approaching Halifa at the Park where the ALD rally was held last
>May, I was beaten to him by a lady. What ensued next took me by total
>surprise. That woman said a lot of very unflattering things about Yaya
>Jammeh, what he's doing home, and PDOIS's "relationship" with him. I was
>really stunned, because she was very blunt, and absolutely convinced of
>what
>she was saying, which in not so many words, was what some of us took Mr.
>Sallah to task for on this List. And when this woman finished her "sermon,"
>she turned her back on Halifa, and the gentleman had to literally rush and
>hold unto her arms to get her to hear his side of the story. And even then,
>she clearly wasn't convinced.
>
>For a moment, I thought the woman was "corrupted" by us on the L. So I
>approached her, and introduced myself. Her name is Tuku Jallow; yes, she's
>new to the US; yes, she has a problem with PDOIS b/c of how they've been
>supporting (her words,) Yaya Jammeh; no, she has NEVER been on the Net;
>yes,
>she's in America b/c of Yaya's tribalism/nepotism; yes, she was fired from
>her job at some bank in Banjul, etc, etc. When I spoke to her, she was with
>four gentlemen including a former Director, and they were all in agreement
>with what the woman was saying.
>
>Question: if Hamjatta is such a quixotic critic, how does one explain why a
>Tuku Jallow, who has never been on the Net, reflect similar views that he
>keeps repeating? The woman is clearly not the bookish type. (Those who
>doubt
>the encounter can ask Mr. Sallah to tell them the story.) I was just two
>feet away, and I've never seen any Gambian woman who's so blunt in a
>face-to-face exchange.
>
>So, my whole take on Halifa is that the man made some mistakes in his
>approach towards Yaya Jammeh. While he wisely passed up a cabinet spot, and
>challenged degrees on principles, he said some wrong things when some of us
>who realized our foolishness that we've been duped woke up to the fact. And
>like I pointed out to Halifa before, his failure to admit that mistake is
>what fuels these criticisms. What should have been chucked down to
>experience as a "honest mistake" swirls around for want of culpability.
>
>Because my twelve-hour day has taken it's toll on me, I can't think clearly
>any more. So, I'm urging Hamjatta to desist the critiques for now. Saying
>this, I feel like Comrade Jassey-Conteh, but there is a lot of wisdom in
>his
>advice. We should just accept each others' positions and move on to fight
>Yaya Jammeh the best way we know how. Blame any incoherence on a sleepy
>brain.
>
>Good night.
>
>Saul.
>
>
>Hamjatta,
>>
>>I see that you are becoming a tactician and a strategist for the
>>transformation of The Gambia. When will you come home to lead your people
>>to
>
>
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