Hi Jabou!
Thanks for your response. Your posts are also always very refreshing
and educative and I do really enjoy them.
What I wrote was neither a recipe for nor an endorsement of
?maslaa?. It was meant to provoke a process of retrospection and
introspection. You are right that good governance and tyranny shall
always be such. I have not argued anywhere that people ignore facts and
accept fantasy explanations or that they should not express outrage at
anything they view as deserving of such. I agree that there should not
be ?divided camps in how we view tyranny and why it has to take all of
us, in and outside of The Gambia being on the same page to defeat it.?
What I argued was that in order to ?be effective conduits of
progressive change, we should realign our thought patterns and think on
the level of the average Gambian and learn to identify the issues that
Gambians hold dear and not the issues we expect them to hold dear.? We
cannot just assume that all Gambians view the government as tyrannical
because that would be fallacious. You also stated that we ?may
understand that those who are closer in proximity to the tyrant
government of Yaya Jammeh are less free to express themselves for fear
of reprisal.? That is why we should not be so condemning of them if
they fail to express outrage the way we do thousands of miles away. The
argument is not about expressing outrage. It is about how the outrage
is expressed. Most of us would not be expressing outrage the way we do
in Stockholm, London, New York etc. if we were in Banjul, Serrekunda,
Bakau etc. We cannot be telling people to take to the streets and do
this and that without any contingency plans to aid them should they be
arrested, fired from work, killed etc.
You wrote: ?I am also of the firm belief that those of us who are able
to speak without fear have a responsibility to do so and yes indeed,
we speak for those who cannot or are too timid to do so, or even out of
sheer ignorance and even if they do not recognize or appreciate this.?
What some us do is not only claim to be speaking on behalf of those who
are silent. We condemn them over and over without even knowing the
reason for their failure to participate. We expect them to carry out
what we deem necessary without even knowing if they agree with what we
believe in.
The case of Malcolm X and the Black Power Movement is different from
ours. The Black Power Movement from the Black Muslims, the Black
Panthers to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), The
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and followers all had
organization and ability. The SCLC and SNCC were able to organize civil
disobedience because they had the logistics, manpower and organization
to effectively do so. The Black Muslims and Black Panthers had the
guns, organisation, willpower etc. to take radical stances. That is why
Bobby Seale could lead a group of Panthers to the California Capitol
with guns and get Ronald Reagan running. If you go to Africa, the ANC
had organization, manpower, a military wing and the will to bring down
Apartheid. The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) did not adopt its ?one
settler one bullet? without the necessary infrastructure to attempt to
make good its pronouncements. What do we have? Sitting at my computer
in Stockholm after having a nice lunch of Benachin, washing it down
with Coke and some attaya and telling people in Banjul to confront
soldiers who will not hesitate to arrest or shoot them is at best
wishful thinking and at worst irresponsible. Martin Luther King did not
sit in Atlanta and direct people to march against the brutal and racist
states of Alabama and Mississippi with their brutal police. He was
there in the trenches with them taking the blows and humiliation
together with them. If I am not willing to go to Gambia and be on the
frontline with the masses for whatever reason, then I do not have the
right to condemn them for the little they do given their circumstances.
If the average Gambian can muster the courage to condemn something with
words such as ?I am sad that this happened? instead of ?this happened
because the brutal dictatorship??, I should respect the fact that he /
she is operating in an environment where the circumstances make it
difficult or even dangerous for him / her to take the more radical
stance. If PDOIS or UDP can only offer open letters, press releases
etc., that is what they are able to do under the circumstances. If we
want them to do something different or against their policies and
principles, why don?t we provide the logistics, manpower etc. to enable
them to do so? We have over the years seen warriors come and go online,
blowing hot air and forcing what they deem solutions, albeit
unachievable, on people through intimidation. I have always wondered
what some people would do if they had the mandate and power Yaya Jammeh
has because of the way they behave online without either power or
mandate. Jabou, you have vigorously argued your beliefs online but I
don?t remember you constantly forcing your beliefs and trying to force
people to accept them and constantly condemning them for refusing to do
so. Other people have vociferously condemned injustice and argued their
points of view without condemning people for refusing to accept their
viewpoints. They have presented and defended their case and then let
the people choose what they want and finally agreed to disagree.
I don?t disagree with the need for enlightenment. That is why I am a
PDOIS sympathizer. Thanks again for your contributions. I hope I have
addressed the issues you raised. Have a good day.
Buharry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----Original Message----
From: [log in to unmask]
Date: 2009-03-14 17:51
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subj: Re: [>-<] Of Militants, Cowards and Fence-sitters:
Disaporan Gambians and the Political Situation in Gambia
Buharry,
Always appreciate your insight and input and hope you will keep it
coming.
Having said that, I must say that the commentary by LJ Darboe in
response to your article expresses exactly my sentiments on the points
you raised in your article.
The fact is that tyranny is tyranny by any definition and good
governance is good governance and pacifying tyrants by "masla" or
creating and living in our own fantasy shell of ignoring facts and
accepting fantasy explanations that we know are blatant lies such as
when fellow Gambians were clearly murdered as in the case of Daba
Marenah and co. will not move us forward. While we may understand that
those who are closer in proximity to the tyrant government of Yaya
Jammeh are less free to express themselves for fear of reprisal, we
cannot afford to have divided camps in how we view tyranny and why it
has to take all of us, in and outside of The Gambia being on the same
page to defeat it.
I am also of the firm belief that those of us who are able to speak
without fear have a responsibility to do so and yes indeed, we speak
for those who cannot or are too timid to do so, or even out of sheer
ignorance and even if they do not recognize or appreciate this.
The late Malcolm X used to say of those Black folks who were too
afraid
to be identified with the Black Power movement and eventually teh
civil
rights movement that20" we will set you free, even if we have to stuff
freedom down your throats". Those same Black folks out of fear,
isolated self interest and pure ignorance even went as far as speaking
out against and labeling people like Malcolm X as trouble makers even
though all they were engaged in was having the courage to speak out
against an injustice and humiliation that those same people opposing
them were living on a daily basis. Today, how Black folks appreciate
and revel in that freedom for which Malcolm X and co., the so-called
trouble makers of that time were the pioneers fought and died to
accomplish and that they were motivated by nothing more than a love
for
their people and a desire to see them accorded equal rights. Those of
us who speak out want the same for our people and although it may not
be realized and appreciated, it is a duty that those who are able must
undertake and we represent the interest of even those who think that
we
do not.
People chose to "masla" only for two reasons, selfish personal gain
while disregarding the suffering of their neighbors or lack of
knowledge as to what constitutes good governance and the fact that we
cannot consider ourselves to have prospered if we are only concerned
about our own individual well being.
Those who choose to "masla" must be enlightened about the fact that
there is a better way that will benefit all and that it takes the
recogn
ition and acceptance of the reality of our collective situation
under Yaya Jammeh's tyrannical regime to liberate our country from
tyranny and that all will truly benefit only when that happens. All
of
our people must be educated to the fact that although those on the
ground must undertake their daily survival, they do not have to like
the conditions that take away their dignity and must do whatever they
can, even if not outwardly, then internally and clandestinely if
possible so that we are all on the same page because that is the only
way we can move forward to accomplish any meaningful change.
I will also add that even those of us outside the country are affected
profoundly because we are separated from our loved ones and extended
families and have no idea when we will see them and will undoubtedly
loose and have lost loved ones before we are able to set eyes on them
again.
Jabou Joh
LJ Darboe wrote:
"On first impression, your observation appears not to embody any
controversy, but its orchestral harmony may collapse on further
examination. Are we right in assuming that the average "Samba or
Demba"
is unconcerned about the human rights violations that are fixtures of
Gambian public life, that he believes Daba Marena and others escaped
whilst being transferred from Mile 2 Central Prisons to wherever,
notwithstanding being completely shackled? I take the view that human
beings are generally endowed with t
he ability to distinguish right from
wrong, and this may be the only explanation for murderous dictators
engaging in generous displays of affection toward their children and
spouses, even as they subject the children and spouses of others to
great trauma through all manner of gratuitous brutality. I contend for
the proposition that the average "Samba or Demba" embraces the view
that Daba Marena's whereabouts is a responsibility properly assigned
to
the Professor and his government.
Although there may be an argument for expediency in particular
circumstances, it should be rejected as a general philosophy of life.
The "average Samba or Demba" hustled what he could out of Jawara, and
he is now wilfully partaking in the excesses of the Professor. I am
unsure as to what "average" denotes, but urge that you examine Barmy
Jagne's declaration on the Mighty that the Professor is the preeminent
propounder of of Pan Africanism among the current coterie of African
leaders. This kind of pronouncement by a resident of the United States
of America is more akin to wilful disregard than cluelessness. Barmy's
deliberate mis-analysis places him in the same category with your
"average Samba and Demba" who, with faculties intact, is fully aware
of
the unacceptable human rights situation that obtains in the
Professor's
Gambia.
Transiting to what Yusupha said on return from a Gambian visit some
years ago, the concern was less with the veracit
y of his factual
narration, and more with the prognosis he suggested for the opposition
segment of Diaspora Gambia. Yusupha's central contention was that in
the battle for the hearts and minds of the Gambian electorate, the
opposition should embark on some community development efforts to
counter the strides mad by the Professor, especially on visible
infrastructure such as roads. If the opposition cannot fund serious
election campaigns, I do not see how it could come up with the
humongous amounts necessary to challenge on development projects
properly the responsibility of the State. Even if such funds are
source-able, we must remember that with a totalitarian system, the
opposition would be prevented, with force, if need be, from embarking
on any independent development initiative. The police power resides
with the State, and the Professor is not known for his timid
projection
of national power.
At the time, and in eloquent support of Yusupha's prognosis, Ousman
Gagigo argued that all of the Professor's victims were in The Gambia.
Even after the intervention of some three years worth of weeks and
months, Ousman's contention stays with me for the simple reason that
the Professor's policies are draining the country of capacity for
development. Those who are staying out of the country because they
have
to are as much victims as anyone within territorial Gambia. I accept
there is a difference in so far as bodily integr
ity is concerned, but a
wasted pool of talent is a tragedy on both the personal and national
levels
Moving The Gambia forward means nothing less that dislodging the
Professor's government from power. Our national struggle is about the
political values we want at the core of our governance system. On the
one hand are governmental minimalism, and constitutionalism within the
broader context of the rule of law in a democratic society. On the
other hand is totalitarianism that rejects, any, and all restraint on
its power. As far as the Professor is concerned, there is no middle
ground"
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sat, 14 Mar 2009 9:38 am
Subject: Re: [>-<] Of Militants, Cowards and Fence-sitters: Disaporan
Gambians and the Political Situation in Gambia
Buharry
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-
L Web interface
at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html
To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
|
