----- Original Message -----
From: Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2000 5:15 AM
Subject: To Wuri Jallow/ Mrs M.C.Jallow
> *************************************************
> Jainaba Jallow a.k.a Wuri Jallow a.k.a Sister Jay a.k.a Neneh Galleh but
> actually Mrs M.C Jallow, wife of Jammeh's Secretary of State for
...................
> Jabou Joh
Jabou,
I am not Jainaba Jallow, but Jainaba Bah. I was named after my grandmother and as a sign of respect for the old lady, my father called me Neneh Galleh. In Farafenni many people know me as Neneh Galleh. Sister Jay is a name given to me by my brothers; Saikou Samateh(Saiks) and Modou Mbye Jabang among others. Jay as in the spelling 'J'. Wuri Jallow is the name of my son who opened this e-mail address. In my subscription letter, I made mention of it to Katim. And if we are talking about Mrs, it should be MS not MC.
I use the name Sister Jay because it reminds me daily of all the wonderful people I have had the opportunity of sharing my life with. Jabou if you knew it was me from day one why wait until this last posting for you to get in touch ?
Jabou this is no subtle attack on you. I did not join this List to attack people. That is just not me! I am in no way trying to hide my identity. People know me .
'As a people our lives as Africans are worthless to this group. Some of us can marry white people, come with them to Africa, baptize them and call them Muhammed or Aja Basse, yet in the eyes of the Western power brokers we remain nothing but primates at the very beginning of the evolutionary chain!! '
All I am saying is that it does not matter how much the world has moved forward in integration and the efforts in doing away with colour barriers: by inter-racial marriages, citizenship etc, we still don't count in the eyes of Western leaders. It has nothing to do with your marriage to Jay Siebert and being blessed with four kids. Jabou, Muhammed is a very common name used for converts. I believe our religious leaders use it symbolically and as a sign of respect for the founder of the religion.
I have no problem with your re-sending the declaration of Independence. These are beautiful words, but the fact still remains that the life of an African American is worth less than that of her/his white countrywoman(man). The over representation of the former doing time in relation to their percentage of the population spells out to some extent the latent and overt racism embedded in the souls of some of these leaders. The most recent being appeals made to George Bush Jr to save the life of a brother. It never mattered even when celebrities like Danny Glover came forward. The point again being even if we are to earn millions of dollars , or travel to space as in the case of Mae Jamison, as a people of African decent we are still seen as inferiors. And the only way we can eradicate this stamp is to rise up and invent the future! Japan, China and the rest of Asia are doing just that! We have to cut down on our rantings and the use of profane language. And be more practical, even in relation to Jammeh and his government.
Jabou, I have no problem with you! I am not here to defend my husband, but as a concerned Gambian with her own brain, moved by the tragedy that has befallen us as a Nation! You see many people have a difficulty to understand that marrying somebody should not mean loosing your identity and your sense of justice ! I will give you one example among many.
(1) I left MOJA-G when my husband was still an active member. I am not a PDOIS member but during their first election campaign I declared my solidarity with them by soliciting MOJA funds to sponsor their election campaign. The bill was 16000crowns(sixteen thousand crowns - cost of candidate posters and cash balance). Not a lot of money, but it demanded a lot determination since I was at the same time a non-MOJA member. Finally, a majority of the members in MOJA-(Stockholm) voted 'YES' to my proposal. They rose up to the occassion, with patriotic zeal, and that assignment was accomplished! I would not have taken this as an example, but since the Wuli Fund is put on the net, I believe it will do no harm. Please do not confuse it with 'Breaking Omerta'!
My only problem maybe is when I read you invoking Allah's name one minute to just read words like 'prostitute' in your next reasoning! Lord have mercy!
Jabou, if you can sacrifice your own blood(Kathy Joh), married to Amadou Samba, business tycoon(Jammeh's nr 1 industrial man,) what makes you think I will be blind to atrocities inflicted on our children and people simply because I am married to a secretary of state? Tell me, because I am all ears! When you call people working under this regime 'prostitutes' what do you call your own brother in-law As Bai(Mam Fama Joh's husband)? As I am aware he is a decent guy doing his bit to move our country forward.What makes you think that I will join the list signing off( Mrs M Sajo Jallow, Secretary of State for Works, Communication & Information). I believe that I am more substance than that! And maybe what you seem to overlook or not know is that I am still living an ordinary Swedish standard life with my own goal(very remote from the conventional Mrs Secretary of State).
Jabou, if you want him to know your piece of mind, let me know and you'll get his e-mail, fax and direct phone numbers. For your info he is renting the same room and palour since 1981 at Batchilly's compound in Latrikunda German.(D150.00/month - one hundred and fifty dalasis per month).
On a final note let me assure you that my posting has nothing to do with you. Maybe it can be best described by the wollof saying 'Tombeh moye isi aigaff'. In the memory of Faala, I say please Sabari! I am still counting on your offer of advice and encouragement, 'cause I really need both!
To all list members I hope you will even in the future read my postings as Sister Jay, and not as Mrs. Secretary of State! Judge them by their content and not by the person behind the ideas!
Sincerely,
Sister Jay.
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