In short, the writer endorsed the illegal detention detention and release of
Juwara and the torching of the Independent Newspaper.  How can one address
Waa's call for protest without addressing the ensuing detention of Waa and
the torching of the Independent Newspaper premises?  How?  I agree with Yus
that the author's logic does not hold water.  The author is a lone voice in
a sea of Gambians that value and call for the freedom of the press.  He
wants the Independent to play ball like the Observer and GRTS and that is
not going to happen.  The Independent is going to continue to call it like
it is and Gambians are going to make sure that continues.

Thus, I firmly believe that all Gambians that believe in press freedom
should join the movement to support the press.  In a couple of days, some of
us will unveil a simple way to let the government know that we mean
business, by just contributing $1 a month ($12 for the year) to support the
private media.  This roughly translates to 3 cents a day.  Folks, if each
one of us forgo one starbucks coffee, or McDonalds meal, or Bud, etc., we
can do this and none will miss these three cents.  Folks, please do not look
down on what $1 from each dedicated Gambian can do to support the voice of
conscience in our country.  Between the G-post and G-L we have more than
1,000 subscribers and if 3/4 of us contribute, we will have $750 for one
month, replicated 12 times it mounds to $9,000 for the year.  That is what 3
cents per day from each of us can grow to.  This does not even include those
that are off line.  Folks, anything we achieve has to start with our
bootstraps and we cannot achieve anything by just talking and writing
articles.  Now, if we are not willing to sacrifice $1 per month for our
country, what does that say about us?  I think it says a lot about our
sincerity, dedication, and zeal.  I am confident that my fellow citizens and
friends of Gambia will see the value and need for a strong and vibrant
private media.  So, please join us to help ourselves.  I also urge the
journalists among us to be in the forefront of this movement, for you are
the face of the private media.  Even if you give in other ways, it is
important that folks see your name in solidarity.  Tell your friends and
your friend's friends.

To those that may think this might impact the Save The Gambia Fund, I can
assure you that it will not.  Three cents a day in itself buys nothing for
any of us on any given day and on average each household looses more that
$10 in cents or is littered in our homes per year and we don't even miss it.
  It is painless and does not break any's back.  Folks, I think the Value of
the private media to us is more than a thousand fold and just putting 3
cents to show your support is next to getting something for nothing.  I look
forward for your support.

Continuing,

"A demonstration in Juwara's own fiery nature would have been the last thing
we would need at this trying moment of economic crisis. Any attempt to
disrupt the peace of our dear nation particularly when over ten of thousands
of Gambians are looking forward to this impending 2003/04 tourist season is
condemnable by all genuine Gambians."

What peace?  It's been 9 years and counting and Tourism in the Gambia has
been on life support and it is precisely because of the hostile environment
created by the government and their lack of vision.  You think the tourist
are blind?  They see soldiers roughing up citizens at the airport; they read
in the newspapers about the kidnappings by the NIA and the thuggry by the
July 22 rodents; they see Gambians beaten to a pulp on our beaches; They
read about the illegal detention of Dumo et al and the summary arrest of
folks.  So, on what ground does one stand to attempt to cloak a white
elephant, that is the hostile environment that is Gambia today?  The author
and APRC are one and the same and they need to lay of hiding behind the
patrioticism banner?  Civil disobedience is part and parcel of a democracy
and none can stop Gambians from taking to the streets.  What the author is
begging for we are not going to do - Depend on the APRC, APRC dominated and
rubberstamped Assembly, and an APRC controlled and manipulated judiciary and
army.  That is precisely what brought us our deteriorated state.  Where were
these hypocrites while Yaya is enriching himself and his cronies at the
expense of Gambians?  I suppose they did not see his jet; have not heard
about the zoo; the bribing and the foreign bank accounts, the joy rides to
shop, the dishing out of millions to praise singers, etc.  Now, how can one
address our economic meltdown without addressing the above variables and
others that tie directly to the reasons of our meltdown?  Again, it is
hypocrisy.  The private media is here to stay and Gambians are going to see
to it.

Chi Jaama

Joe Sambou



>From: [log in to unmask]
>Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [>-<] The Case Against Juwara -- An Opinion!
>Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 20:58:37 EST
>
>I don't know if anyone has sent this article to the Post yet.  If someone
>already has, I duly apologize for cluttering mailboxes with duplicate mail.
>This is a well written opinion piece but this is where the buck stops as
>far
>as I am concerned.
>In my my view, the author fails in his logic on two fronts:
>• His contention that the Independent belied its reputation by publishing
>Waa's call for mass protests in the face of a worsening economic situation
>is way
>off the mark.  Unless Mr. Jallow believes in censorship of the press in
>line
>with the stifling media laws put into law by ex-AG Joseph Joof and rubber
>stamped by a toothless parliament, there is very little wrong with
>publishing any
>comments made by Waa - a major political figure.
>• His reasoning that Waa's call for mass protests is faulty at best
>simply
>because peaceful protests should be, and rightly so, an integral part of
>anydemocratic system.  Once again, Mr. Jallow's reasoning is similar to
>that of the
>government which has charged Waa with sedition  over his comments.
>As far as I am concerned, the Independent is one of the few voices of hope
>in
>our country.
>
>The Case Against Juwara
>
>
>  Email This Page
>
>Print This Page
>
>Visit The Publisher's Site
>
>
>
>The Independent (Banjul)
>OPINION
>October 17, 2003
>Posted to the web October 17, 2003
>Saidou Jallow
>Banjul
>A recent story carried by The Independent conveying Lamin Waa Juwara's call
>for mass protest against the economic situation in The Gambia, actually
>belied
>the good reputation of the paper, which many in The Gambia and abroad
>admire.
>But I unreservedly condemn Waa's call and reject The Independent's
>publication
>of it, which was not necessary in anyway one looks at it. A protest cannot
>be
>an answer to our economic plight, while everybody accepts the fact that the
>situation has deteriorated.
>It was irresponsible of a leading Gambian politician, who is claiming to be
>the only politician in The Gambia today that was trained in Political
>Science.
>It is an obvious fact that the Gambian economy shows signs of instability,
>with a generality of Gambians bearing the brunt of the scenario. But
>nothing
>justifies Juwara's call, which if were heeded might have led to unspeakable
>scenes that could temporarily disrupt our economic plan for the future.
>The Independent is one of a few newspapers I respect and regard in high
>esteem for its bold ways with the truth. Many Gambians share this same
>"room" for
>such a paper that Gambians abroad have fallen so madly in love with over
>the
>years as their dependable source of information about their home country.
>It is
>also roundly revered by others in the outside world, where many people rely
>on
>it for authentic information about The Gambia.
>However, there are times when I beg to differ with The Independent for
>publishing some stories that are controversial in nature and certainly
>"Lets take to
>the streets" was one such story. My little knowledge of journalism tells me
>that the headline and the contents of that particular story should have
>been
>made to appear less provocative even though the words came from Waa, who
>owned
>up to them anyway after an interrogation by the police. "Juwara calls for
>peaceful demo" would have done the trick, instead of the peremptory call he
>reportedly made. What manner of Gambians would answer to this irresponsible
>call made
>from the pages of an otherwise reputable newspaper? How ironic.
>While a peaceful walk-about might have been necessary, Juwara's concept of
>a
>demonstration would shake our social fabric no matter how short-lived it
>turned out to be and in the process scare away potential foreign investors
>and
>visitors (tourists) at such a strategic period when our tourism industry is
>gathering pace. A demonstration in Juwara's own fiery nature would have
>been the
>last thing we would need at this trying moment of economic crisis. Any
>attempt to
>disrupt the peace of our dear nation particularly when over ten of
>thousands
>of Gambians are looking forward to this impending 2003/04 tourist season is
>condemnable by all genuine Gambians.
>I am one of those who voted in the 2001 elections for the APRC and
>successfully convinced families and friends to do the same. That was in the
>past when I
>used to support the APRC. Not anymore. And I have my reasons and they are
>relating to our poor economic performance as a nation. However, the change
>in my
>opinion about the APRC does not necessarily mean that I will condemn
>anything
>about it and hail any foul means of disrupting its activities. The
>government
>is not perfect but it is also capable of some good. This does not
>necessarily
>always mean that the government is the epitome of bad governance all the
>way.
>Yahya Jammeh's government may have committed mistakes in the past and cause
>a
>lot of its supporters like me to jump ship but loyalty to the state should
>take centre-stage for anybody patriotic enough to see that a disturbance,
>that
>may result in the event of a "Juwara demo" may affect the government in
>severe
>ways but it will also gravely affect our lives as ordinary Gambians already
>reeling from the economic gridlock of the last few years.
>We subscribe to The Independent's editorial policy, which is non-partisan,
>but the public must see evidence of this in their criticisms where they are
>due
>and the commendation of the government where necessary. The rest is a
>matter
>is of drawing individual conclusions.

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